tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6090023828160657402024-02-19T08:56:01.672-07:00Jill in KoreaJillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.comBlogger1453125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-54136569969090010282013-07-09T18:27:00.004-07:002013-09-11T07:11:47.858-07:00I guess this means goodbye...<div style="text-align: center;">
Hey! I'm alive after over a month of blogging hibernation!
I actually decided to quit writing my blog when we started getting busy photographing full time. It just became too much to continually write and take & edit photographs for this blog and our photography website. So, I made myself put my camera down one day, somewhere during our week in Maine, and told myself to just enjoy the last 3 weeks of our road trip and our new home in Charleston without journaling every move. But, I figured that after writing nearly every day for 4 years, I should probably give this place a final farewell. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Before I officially say goodbye, I'll give one last Osteen update for ya! We've been living in Charleston now for almost 2 weeks and renting an awesome house that's 0.2 miles from Folly Beach (oh yeah!), we have a lovable 8 year old 100 lb dog named Cash who wakes us up every morning by moving his big fat body up next to us so we can all spoon together, we officially own a business now and work from home - sometimes in our PJ's! We have breakfast together and make coffee in our new <a href="http://www.keurig.com/KCupSystem" target="_blank">Kourig</a> in the mornings, we take walks on the beach with Cash every night after dinner (and sometimes go for a lil swim, since the ocean feels like a bathtub here!!!) and we just bought adorable beach cruisers, so now we go almost everywhere on our bikes! We're busy, everyday, setting up the business, creating business cards, designing <a href="http://www.aaronnicholasphoto.com/" target="_blank">the website</a>, finalizing our logo (Thanks Keri!)<span style="text-align: right;">...updating our </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AaronNicholasPhotography" style="text-align: right;" target="_blank">Aaron Nicholas Photography Facebook page</a><span style="text-align: right;"> and </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/AaronNicholasPhoto" style="text-align: right;" target="_blank">ANP Instagram pages</a><span style="text-align: right;"> (which we'd love for you to "like" and be a part of if you're not already), meeting with business tax guys, having coffee with wedding planners and other wedding photographers, and enjoying every single second of it! (Weddings are definitely on the brain these days.)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So, I may not be updating here on my beloved blog anymore, but I will however continue to update my personal Facebook and Instagram accounts with photos around town and on future adventures, so feel free to follow me there. :) Let this not be a goodbye, but a see ya around instead!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/JillHoppyOsteen">www.Facebook.com/JillHoppyOsteen</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.instagram.com/JillOsteen">www.Instagram.com/JillOsteen</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Love, Jill</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-1285779566863264702013-06-03T20:46:00.000-07:002013-06-04T20:46:38.659-07:00Our wedding weekend!<div style="text-align: center;">
We had THE BEST weekend! On Friday night, we drove up to Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, to meet up with Briana Moore (our wedding photographer) to scope out the location for the big wedding the next day! We were so excited that she had asked Aaron and I to be her 2nd shooters, because this was gonna be the wedding of the century! We spent Friday through Monday, living and hanging out with the bride and groom and all of their closest family and friends in a giant compound (1 huge main house, a boat house, and 4 other cabins) on the lake, that they had rented for the wedding! To give you an idea of the area, we were right next door to Mitt Romney's Lake House - We were living the life to say the least!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We're working on editing the photos (260 of them), but here's the <a href="http://www.nhimages.com/blog/bid/92741/Shannon-Guy-A-Lake-Winnipesaukee-NH-Wedding-Film" target="_blank">videographer's sneak peak</a>, which I ADORE, so you can see where we spent our weekend!<br />
BEWARE: Grab a couple tissues...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/67636017" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Oh, and we're in Portland, Maine now, in case you were wondering! </div>
Aaron + Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084597203221187619noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-71474037250275505732013-06-02T20:29:00.002-07:002013-06-02T20:29:55.722-07:00Taking a break by the lake!<div style="text-align: center;">
Hey! Just checking in... I'm still alive! :) In the last week I've snapped almost 2,000 photos for work, so my blog has been set on the back burner, but I'll be back in the next few days with posts about our 3 days in Boston, 1 in Portsmouth New Hampshire and 3 in a gorgeous cabin on Lake Winnipesaukee! We've been living the life this week and getting a taste for our first wedding season... and we LOVE IT!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
See you in a couple days!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
xoxo, from my bunk bed at the cabin, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jill</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-91005315846719961322013-05-28T18:57:00.000-07:002013-06-02T21:15:43.185-07:00The big apple and wedded bliss!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
If there's any regret I have about my 4 days in NYC, it's that I didn't take more photos! I blame it on the rain that we had the last day and the fact that I didn't wanna carry a bag around! The first night, however, I had my camera right there with me to document a special reunion I had with 2 of my best high school girl friends, Jess and Kat, who I hadn't seen since graduation almost 14 years ago! How cute are they?! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYmyV55sLgaQvmdCl1lEBPEo7jKIlH9kPLItqzRExwIUQaG4DsxF0UuR39jxDuTIMISJn31vcQTaI1PT94vOKcXXLHQPkc8tHYPQa6AZN7UEUOcZdYwN6XrjYlqqyVwsURBMBwYT3wRa_/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYmyV55sLgaQvmdCl1lEBPEo7jKIlH9kPLItqzRExwIUQaG4DsxF0UuR39jxDuTIMISJn31vcQTaI1PT94vOKcXXLHQPkc8tHYPQa6AZN7UEUOcZdYwN6XrjYlqqyVwsURBMBwYT3wRa_/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Jess is now a celebrity hair and make-up artist (She's currently working for the Morning Buzz on VH-1 and does the host's make-up every morning before the sun rises!) and Kat is an off-Broadway actress and incredible beauty photographer! They recently started their own business, "JessKat" that's pretty incredible! We met them for dinner at Yum Yum, a Thai place on 9th Ave near Times Square.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrmUxP9PgJIYsEmI4UxW1eS0dAVJLBt5RkCFzBc07e3FIsxRDakz-TrrXzlE3lwHVeUOwaOCn4pd82S-IAfbFepm-Lqk-155lpdx1EA4t_TEOBMjuVY4IPjBt0biLBpozu4VjRDHSlrDN/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrmUxP9PgJIYsEmI4UxW1eS0dAVJLBt5RkCFzBc07e3FIsxRDakz-TrrXzlE3lwHVeUOwaOCn4pd82S-IAfbFepm-Lqk-155lpdx1EA4t_TEOBMjuVY4IPjBt0biLBpozu4VjRDHSlrDN/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Before dinner though, Kat and Jess met Aaron and I in front of the Nederlander Theater to enter the Broadway Lottery to hopefully win tickets for The Newsies at a small fraction of the regular price!! As luck would have it, Kat's name was called and she was able to buy 2 tickets - one for me and one for Aaron! It was so exciting and we were so appreciative for her and Jess coming to help us win the lottery!! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuzfhWMr6kMZAQ0qu1lTE5L1C9Zg6t_pbfCZ1EqdccKRwHIxJNapw7SXMzHn1NJgk84Bmq5aWk5yzBukiZy-iUMZg9mBRb3r4VDsV7HYLSQkF6rdsrq5LW_yR80pzEMfFRH8wIznryAEo/s1600/NYC+1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuzfhWMr6kMZAQ0qu1lTE5L1C9Zg6t_pbfCZ1EqdccKRwHIxJNapw7SXMzHn1NJgk84Bmq5aWk5yzBukiZy-iUMZg9mBRb3r4VDsV7HYLSQkF6rdsrq5LW_yR80pzEMfFRH8wIznryAEo/s1600/NYC+1-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I L.O.V.E these girls! It was as if no time had passed at all!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtyVkcQZUa4LD9xGDLvyd-kYRC9iW2WQqIPfLsUiKw-TuTJxuHhD3ykZQLo9EBPOHEgG8BZG_q_PHgWRbnEhX7s36zLuhDhfBoSJhF5-p9VDcSlAnUKGypcjdbzDGh20lGh_8lwyZdbNJ/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtyVkcQZUa4LD9xGDLvyd-kYRC9iW2WQqIPfLsUiKw-TuTJxuHhD3ykZQLo9EBPOHEgG8BZG_q_PHgWRbnEhX7s36zLuhDhfBoSJhF5-p9VDcSlAnUKGypcjdbzDGh20lGh_8lwyZdbNJ/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Just wish it didn't take us 14 years to get together again!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEv6V2cIt0QkABt7G4pabdJjVBkpOpK5mC6xulm4bk2cw6bnELA8LXvfH_UFzpVHhSnd3Wh_GqJth0OtAc8TLzBEH7AC7Fp_KymM9BurjzA86C2PseBBPN2RKIyzjJs2sMcaVWSg1JIEIW/s1600/NYC+1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEv6V2cIt0QkABt7G4pabdJjVBkpOpK5mC6xulm4bk2cw6bnELA8LXvfH_UFzpVHhSnd3Wh_GqJth0OtAc8TLzBEH7AC7Fp_KymM9BurjzA86C2PseBBPN2RKIyzjJs2sMcaVWSg1JIEIW/s1600/NYC+1-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I can't explain in words how magical, breath taking, exhilarating, and professional this show was! It was the 1st Broadway experience for each of us and we were completely blown away. It was so good that it made me cry twice, just because I was so overwhelmed at how incredible the dancing, singing and acting was! Seriously cried - tears rolling down my cheeks with a giant smile across my face! Best $60 we've ever spent!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GoazxP3aUKvxdTcWoSjtRvmf8T07d-igcelDs4txg6LnqYnuUkAPsdpCJwWAzwi1kKukLE0WhU-9rVpLLy63P7LnZae4t-AaPx4NXIaTYFdsw6TEZ2ceSoqKTId0MKSIMQxy1-fDV9Fn/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GoazxP3aUKvxdTcWoSjtRvmf8T07d-igcelDs4txg6LnqYnuUkAPsdpCJwWAzwi1kKukLE0WhU-9rVpLLy63P7LnZae4t-AaPx4NXIaTYFdsw6TEZ2ceSoqKTId0MKSIMQxy1-fDV9Fn/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We stayed at my sister's place in Brooklyn while we were in NYC! It was so fun to catch up and spend some sister time with her! She recently started a juice cleanse and had bought a coconut, hoping that Aaron and I could help her open it when we came home. What should have been an easy slice of the top turned into quite the extravaganza, including a flat head screw driver and a hammer! These two are lucky they didn't accidentally chop each other's fingers off! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSU34aC4X1lEl5TREX2nabF99FdPBqBL2E3Uhi9Dar5i3VKh1QiGBlaSLmDIRcATVHxY2uOnA9t_AhPgi47I6d_4ENLJGamK-vtEq_R4ej8yP5FyPpugRFtcZ7wUYGyzCJh-dBq1PqUjU/s1600/NYC+1-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSU34aC4X1lEl5TREX2nabF99FdPBqBL2E3Uhi9Dar5i3VKh1QiGBlaSLmDIRcATVHxY2uOnA9t_AhPgi47I6d_4ENLJGamK-vtEq_R4ej8yP5FyPpugRFtcZ7wUYGyzCJh-dBq1PqUjU/s1600/NYC+1-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Hoppy sisters! :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1uVnDyc7Vau09dXkfoGgKDITXKf-P1QP8FkXXvUmCdsgEcAhbFVMy9TkPw6i248saq-4_YfI19i44fZYZaqZmCn3gps95IxV1zpbrNcBBpaMAId9j0qywXgpeoY5HXqw0XphQAs6Eq6I/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1uVnDyc7Vau09dXkfoGgKDITXKf-P1QP8FkXXvUmCdsgEcAhbFVMy9TkPw6i248saq-4_YfI19i44fZYZaqZmCn3gps95IxV1zpbrNcBBpaMAId9j0qywXgpeoY5HXqw0XphQAs6Eq6I/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
On Sunday, we photographed a really cool wedding in Brooklyn with Kat (my HS friend above)! The bride (a Broadway actress and celebrity trainer - S.J.P. is one of her morning clients!!!) and husband (portrait photographer) are friends of Kat's and were so fun to work with... and their cake was mmmm mmmm delicious! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hHXXZ-QCcuPXXyyh72Dtrz8NH_5NXAnISHrwSdlmkrmeKQtzN6ENKInyw1MegD-YqoB0TImH738jCcZ5zbq2bTW4Rv-iHaljxHo1FJEtOp-tXPB0YbEnKblxGEiXqDFdIJcMCY6ap0F-/s1600/NYC+1-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hHXXZ-QCcuPXXyyh72Dtrz8NH_5NXAnISHrwSdlmkrmeKQtzN6ENKInyw1MegD-YqoB0TImH738jCcZ5zbq2bTW4Rv-iHaljxHo1FJEtOp-tXPB0YbEnKblxGEiXqDFdIJcMCY6ap0F-/s1600/NYC+1-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
You can check out the whole soot <a href="http://aaronnicholasphoto.blogspot.com/2013/06/chris-adrianne-nc-wedding.html" target="_blank">here our photography blog,</a> but here's a little sneak peak of a few that I snapped after the ceremony. These two were so in love with each other, it was permeable and lit up the entire room - and city!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7maQWLVTC_iLK4xzvzygu_WDsKSoEUwnvTLn-efFOKtYj4GrppZfT8_MI5tno56JTJnD0UX8xCkmYpfxkSREG6P58_8ZWdAxZuacU3AjrBovey6b-3CkqZnzPsDzJT2wyGSnw9u9CoXoW/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7maQWLVTC_iLK4xzvzygu_WDsKSoEUwnvTLn-efFOKtYj4GrppZfT8_MI5tno56JTJnD0UX8xCkmYpfxkSREG6P58_8ZWdAxZuacU3AjrBovey6b-3CkqZnzPsDzJT2wyGSnw9u9CoXoW/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraTj5b3JaEpovuUWjEvLslwN4o909rPTs7h42MsCsdXnGsnk005CZTVnDTByA2YesRKQXT1_kYvXUXZMUvpkB2xllv9GB18J5yLFtHHdwVIfegGzj9ibUDOVnYS7h_PjNxDIJdYDvwY1_/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraTj5b3JaEpovuUWjEvLslwN4o909rPTs7h42MsCsdXnGsnk005CZTVnDTByA2YesRKQXT1_kYvXUXZMUvpkB2xllv9GB18J5yLFtHHdwVIfegGzj9ibUDOVnYS7h_PjNxDIJdYDvwY1_/s1600/NYC+1+horiz-7.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjJ9e2WKCtUP8lk-ppQUMuIVqywaIEopPAe3_euvcvi_AzHmo6-S-wTmn8s97QHoGEMVni9NyJvUAHTZhXtXQtH2eFfniHHk4aXRNuyr3nHU81oUTrEf9VDyg0ZPhJVuRebBp45EN0xY5/s1600/NYC+1+diptich-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjJ9e2WKCtUP8lk-ppQUMuIVqywaIEopPAe3_euvcvi_AzHmo6-S-wTmn8s97QHoGEMVni9NyJvUAHTZhXtXQtH2eFfniHHk4aXRNuyr3nHU81oUTrEf9VDyg0ZPhJVuRebBp45EN0xY5/s1600/NYC+1+diptich-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I love Broadway, my sister, high school reunions and beautiful NYC weddings! The last 4 days have been a blast! Thanks New York! Can't wait to be back in June for round 2!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Anyone have any recommendations for us for next time we're
in NY?!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-26005049908533406842013-05-24T17:32:00.000-07:002013-05-27T18:04:58.408-07:00Hanging with the Amish!<div style="text-align: center;">
To say it's been a dream of mine to see the Amish country would be the understatement of the year! I never imagined I'd find myself in Lancaster, Pennsylvania or have the chance to drive through their amazing countryside, or better yet, meet them on their own land! It was incredible and something I definitely won't forget... and I have a terrible memory, so that's saying something!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We pulled up to our $55 a night Bed and Breakfast through www.AirBnB.com in the center of the historic district of Lancaster! You can check out the rest of the house <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/942847" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9S6GZ1lzokpG-xZzeG9LFN687hcRpuy91RVRdu4r8mJO-w_VfWY2BxdnApLq34mTrGnpXFxMUvcRvYt317zzRrenMkJJroahuGgv735CW5_1WKLXd-VqpCnuK1my-yovTreEyJcrdKcjo/s1600/Amish+blog-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9S6GZ1lzokpG-xZzeG9LFN687hcRpuy91RVRdu4r8mJO-w_VfWY2BxdnApLq34mTrGnpXFxMUvcRvYt317zzRrenMkJJroahuGgv735CW5_1WKLXd-VqpCnuK1my-yovTreEyJcrdKcjo/s1600/Amish+blog-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It's so historic, in fact, that the house next door used to be a <b>legal</b> brothel and was built in 1842!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKC7QrCSyXHfUh08ZJJGzzfJdIqutVt27_0Spa1hIaLSze7xYicdSmrnJQViw1otqex_p1a5qEOomGsWwJoX6GJLUmxvbI67hovmAWO_-sOdOIoo6R7TLbkODvRVq22pJ6x3eJVugAQqDN/s1600/Amish+blog-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKC7QrCSyXHfUh08ZJJGzzfJdIqutVt27_0Spa1hIaLSze7xYicdSmrnJQViw1otqex_p1a5qEOomGsWwJoX6GJLUmxvbI67hovmAWO_-sOdOIoo6R7TLbkODvRVq22pJ6x3eJVugAQqDN/s1600/Amish+blog-7.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Our host was a fabulous mid 60 yr old woman named Carol, who was the most helpful, intuitive, generous, friendly, welcoming and creative woman! We stayed in her 3rd floor loft and spent the first night chatting all night and the next day doing the same! We just absolutely loved her! She would write us little notes all over the house and changed her kitchen chalkboard EVERY morning! She reminded me so much of my best friend Sarah! <a href="http://instagram.com/jillosteen" target="_blank">(instagram pic)</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IM3n8dBBodEczCzFcIm0-qilusL507CTgvpI_hpMnJl8dtYK3LZps8sd8v4fkX8wkvRU6XL6NEWoPprJx8n3VfVyjkVoIeNNxM9SuCYQQn7N1dYLbd38O_FvubJNxLz34a40ou3ZPWel/s1600/thursday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IM3n8dBBodEczCzFcIm0-qilusL507CTgvpI_hpMnJl8dtYK3LZps8sd8v4fkX8wkvRU6XL6NEWoPprJx8n3VfVyjkVoIeNNxM9SuCYQQn7N1dYLbd38O_FvubJNxLz34a40ou3ZPWel/s640/thursday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We also loved this cute lil' cafe right downtown that she recommended, called Prince St Cafe... We ate there twice it was so good.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJs9ckbL2HONOywGxEDFR6pJEDKdd6D1rBf50j17xdpYSDP0Y_gAAMd2ZxxsOiRc2awvQ75coPzdxzq1OUYT8x2RuOm947Z7u1eVqRUxwNaHN3it-LT7yyOO49BXLbpNUZQ6lLE8ERBgwK/s1600/Amish+blog-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJs9ckbL2HONOywGxEDFR6pJEDKdd6D1rBf50j17xdpYSDP0Y_gAAMd2ZxxsOiRc2awvQ75coPzdxzq1OUYT8x2RuOm947Z7u1eVqRUxwNaHN3it-LT7yyOO49BXLbpNUZQ6lLE8ERBgwK/s1600/Amish+blog-8.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We spent a little bit of time checking out downtown Lancaster (which I DID NOT do justice in my photos, because there's so much to see and I was being lazy)...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHIOS3NEzGoEiV6ntolZ_5UMQqLPnBMMpCdNHwgJFIhiAd0ny645OeLUnR_OuVJCvqKlpzrPZfSKuzTB9WqSMN_afGz640MTVoHtSkGEEKpoddlXC3-dXfP9_Y3iu-2NVFlCTD3XHSeBQ/s1600/Amish+blog+diptich-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHIOS3NEzGoEiV6ntolZ_5UMQqLPnBMMpCdNHwgJFIhiAd0ny645OeLUnR_OuVJCvqKlpzrPZfSKuzTB9WqSMN_afGz640MTVoHtSkGEEKpoddlXC3-dXfP9_Y3iu-2NVFlCTD3XHSeBQ/s1600/Amish+blog+diptich-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VY8xSKriAv_n0N02CAxYKLCGFy9ZNWJgvEpNbzBnZS0nEo_zi9s7Ta0RFQ_3XXypY7yf8ZvBWIpP5JXWWruo2KEk6Y6UGL3RXAzrovWsWsl0Jkokkrs6eRXilaeejcY9YhyphenhyphenexRNnCkGx/s1600/Amish+blog-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VY8xSKriAv_n0N02CAxYKLCGFy9ZNWJgvEpNbzBnZS0nEo_zi9s7Ta0RFQ_3XXypY7yf8ZvBWIpP5JXWWruo2KEk6Y6UGL3RXAzrovWsWsl0Jkokkrs6eRXilaeejcY9YhyphenhyphenexRNnCkGx/s1600/Amish+blog-9.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sorry, that's all I've got! I told you I was lazy.<br />
<br />
*** For the record, from now on in this post, the photos are mine AND Aaron's photos. We shared my camera most of the last 2 days and he said it was cool if I posted his, so "<i>Thanks A!</i>" Feel free to have a little game with yourself and guess who took which one. :)<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But really who cares about downtown Lancaster, or who took the photos, when we can talk about the Amish!? Carol gave us directions to an Amish village called Intercourse (yep!) where she said we were sure to see our fair share of Amish. We figured a good spot to start would be at the grocery store, so walked in and had our VERY 1st Amish interaction! It was with the young female clerk, wearing a handmade powder blue dress and white bonnet, with her hair pulled back and not a lick of make-up. She said the apples I chose to buy were her favorite! <i> I was in heaven. Why are they like celebrities to me?! </i> Apparently leaving tracks on the counter is totally acceptable in Amish country, too. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGMNO3LYAOyIhC5zjSPLBcAZG5IePvRh0AXx-RwcCH03k_oskPBRbrSZoFvWvqcYkinl_dR4PDF7_IVCOPo58NHMxll-eU_wLnC7L8_VtFw6HmT5cgjFFTFSbtByS_f7KAjT-1vpkhh0I/s1600/Amish+blog-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGMNO3LYAOyIhC5zjSPLBcAZG5IePvRh0AXx-RwcCH03k_oskPBRbrSZoFvWvqcYkinl_dR4PDF7_IVCOPo58NHMxll-eU_wLnC7L8_VtFw6HmT5cgjFFTFSbtByS_f7KAjT-1vpkhh0I/s1600/Amish+blog-10.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
We drove over 100 miles today, down any street that sounded Dutch, earthy, or community centered, like: New Holland Rd, Harvest Dr, Spring Garden Rd, Friendship Ln, Meeting House Rd, and then drove onto smaller streets that came off of those roads, etc)... We heard that that was the best way to really see them in action.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoamLulYe-BpHtwok1wOk_eV1YIxm0aDVssP2WtSg9DmFubg90olx441OSbv-2XzN4WgDN3cNm8PBijCAastF5vG8vbKIHcY72_G3BtzvblDez9C13WiqBAyrZTZ05Ys_TmlTvCV7MYOo/s1600/Amish+blog-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoamLulYe-BpHtwok1wOk_eV1YIxm0aDVssP2WtSg9DmFubg90olx441OSbv-2XzN4WgDN3cNm8PBijCAastF5vG8vbKIHcY72_G3BtzvblDez9C13WiqBAyrZTZ05Ys_TmlTvCV7MYOo/s1600/Amish+blog-18.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
.... and we saw some of the most beautiful Amish farms because of it!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9sgjM17tHukA_xG9tnUNo8Ow_oLZgEKmuxOWIMlMZARBaA2LQ2vD47dXhgz5FYcRb4NdCUNZPqitZN0Js-fd3ng9wrZ8It_6nCKTrqetQhwCIRPjMHhPAg3gdskbaQZGDL82xMNWarfJ/s1600/Amish+blog+vert-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9sgjM17tHukA_xG9tnUNo8Ow_oLZgEKmuxOWIMlMZARBaA2LQ2vD47dXhgz5FYcRb4NdCUNZPqitZN0Js-fd3ng9wrZ8It_6nCKTrqetQhwCIRPjMHhPAg3gdskbaQZGDL82xMNWarfJ/s1600/Amish+blog+vert-22.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzak9rF9YX-gOqg_WQG5hQg0RQqC19JOndMf8zh6YyvyqUOCTsrujsQY49XTdBCT_tnsLObJVqaxn9WgwScoTvYoKZY-6pDd5s7NtOgvLXfr8cJUSZAxphP9zt7NV1z0sKwRNPfeNooHns/s1600/Amish+blog-38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzak9rF9YX-gOqg_WQG5hQg0RQqC19JOndMf8zh6YyvyqUOCTsrujsQY49XTdBCT_tnsLObJVqaxn9WgwScoTvYoKZY-6pDd5s7NtOgvLXfr8cJUSZAxphP9zt7NV1z0sKwRNPfeNooHns/s1600/Amish+blog-38.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_0a6LUu6bPc3le72eiNwYmNZV1ahsI8uEbaV3bXyXV1Xpg9BBt9QBEZ3Rgyz_zFB-Aij2DJ-mJVm8I2kJYpk1VQ7uyrNkqWWETAxGwyALd6VGKGTzF_J-dkEoUEZZxQqU5L7VPK8DHg6/s1600/Amish+blog-35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_0a6LUu6bPc3le72eiNwYmNZV1ahsI8uEbaV3bXyXV1Xpg9BBt9QBEZ3Rgyz_zFB-Aij2DJ-mJVm8I2kJYpk1VQ7uyrNkqWWETAxGwyALd6VGKGTzF_J-dkEoUEZZxQqU5L7VPK8DHg6/s1600/Amish+blog-35.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIcBRuB_SceU8XhyphenhyphenotLES9DRLcdp1SNEWsTJa4tGUjdjouMjomroEj7KZYjpNWultFD2-Dmde5WKFilhQfJA-Nyc8rmw50wy_zWxo981SwHGbvIO35nbnAlOe9eZ73HJIYPTvxXAgxlWX/s1600/Amish+blog-27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIcBRuB_SceU8XhyphenhyphenotLES9DRLcdp1SNEWsTJa4tGUjdjouMjomroEj7KZYjpNWultFD2-Dmde5WKFilhQfJA-Nyc8rmw50wy_zWxo981SwHGbvIO35nbnAlOe9eZ73HJIYPTvxXAgxlWX/s1600/Amish+blog-27.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuG4qcwDfmv1g4CVfY7fm64sYHrSky15kmKeWUgfL4SN5QH0ETNEXIDO7xB3LQsARjBRa5bYp4Wa1zYYNuqWXMc4oup3VO9YNstbO5Iz8woNyVs4BeVWpaRowpnWOCkqGXFEqxySOrwQ2/s1600/Amish+blog-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuG4qcwDfmv1g4CVfY7fm64sYHrSky15kmKeWUgfL4SN5QH0ETNEXIDO7xB3LQsARjBRa5bYp4Wa1zYYNuqWXMc4oup3VO9YNstbO5Iz8woNyVs4BeVWpaRowpnWOCkqGXFEqxySOrwQ2/s1600/Amish+blog-14.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRJJZadxwC2o2qE3y8pJPDY9t_DDehUjIQihEE8qD4SzHrYoDC1MAqX4hUpJ3q-xC6KjP22CwYmUovgSJzR6wF4E-1UdrlkNU9SXLRObBSmntLV9KYCiKTPXnknFHVCEBtVO3RqLdtxDv/s1600/Amish+blog-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRJJZadxwC2o2qE3y8pJPDY9t_DDehUjIQihEE8qD4SzHrYoDC1MAqX4hUpJ3q-xC6KjP22CwYmUovgSJzR6wF4E-1UdrlkNU9SXLRObBSmntLV9KYCiKTPXnknFHVCEBtVO3RqLdtxDv/s1600/Amish+blog-15.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMAw1gRjeDTy41ujb0Do23nwNRKvcpTPWZBdZ71TSy28FdyN2LKTIRd0yy_zQ3pD558zf9LFu4n_BcZiqzHw18Uu2qdqFV4e-XhqQW14erylLtNDeodfpMkfau4fiQ4ehqGb9UGGpuQWK/s1600/Amish+blog-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMAw1gRjeDTy41ujb0Do23nwNRKvcpTPWZBdZ71TSy28FdyN2LKTIRd0yy_zQ3pD558zf9LFu4n_BcZiqzHw18Uu2qdqFV4e-XhqQW14erylLtNDeodfpMkfau4fiQ4ehqGb9UGGpuQWK/s1600/Amish+blog-17.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
... and of course, lots and lots of buggies sharing the road with present day cars.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkFDsp2jw3qEk0s7xkNRAWXrtP9N2HrvRyruhMBaMUBheARMOJVV7lQmYLlR5KqGMREuEzvB9vAZTlaykpPl0SRZNbX_t9_0KouLStRtu5C12ZXa71_YLEA7jEy1JZhy3o8SIdlb89q6r/s1600/Amish+blog-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkFDsp2jw3qEk0s7xkNRAWXrtP9N2HrvRyruhMBaMUBheARMOJVV7lQmYLlR5KqGMREuEzvB9vAZTlaykpPl0SRZNbX_t9_0KouLStRtu5C12ZXa71_YLEA7jEy1JZhy3o8SIdlb89q6r/s1600/Amish+blog-20.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsstMYEcuIPeR8AF-fgSjAMiobfY8pvRNtl7FXQjWq-dOZxB0OCar2Jeq6sDkeQL4E3OQHlIvSM3rIbC6VaVsEWLv_WPf8St-3mgbSJS2cs-044uo7Pdh7k8IrGsxtH1NNUGD9CelE-4F/s1600/Amish+blog-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsstMYEcuIPeR8AF-fgSjAMiobfY8pvRNtl7FXQjWq-dOZxB0OCar2Jeq6sDkeQL4E3OQHlIvSM3rIbC6VaVsEWLv_WPf8St-3mgbSJS2cs-044uo7Pdh7k8IrGsxtH1NNUGD9CelE-4F/s1600/Amish+blog-21.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCR3GuCdUBQD4HyO-xcfiFkYon2AMUAmQkbHWRYo_9ii5b81NtIyeuuV2A4SlMMZPhQD5c9d2r3sWtxwQ62pfPed4SXrsQ4QOjSz3a6KPHzPlqciVM-F9pPezAscv6DxhcIwy9X2p9K8P/s1600/Amish+blog-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCR3GuCdUBQD4HyO-xcfiFkYon2AMUAmQkbHWRYo_9ii5b81NtIyeuuV2A4SlMMZPhQD5c9d2r3sWtxwQ62pfPed4SXrsQ4QOjSz3a6KPHzPlqciVM-F9pPezAscv6DxhcIwy9X2p9K8P/s1600/Amish+blog-23.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_8WROU0_lmRb7T0pVmLzcSt4tbBBh-KsTBjxN_MtCc7Cb_MBorLzj2ogymn0oZ5zi3S2OVrYOLwhe8YoG-9hlcxcJ8lMij5J8tZ0KDCl8yOkxGKUld9j3AHaapEHpqznZWwriEYD3Xax/s1600/Amish+blog-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_8WROU0_lmRb7T0pVmLzcSt4tbBBh-KsTBjxN_MtCc7Cb_MBorLzj2ogymn0oZ5zi3S2OVrYOLwhe8YoG-9hlcxcJ8lMij5J8tZ0KDCl8yOkxGKUld9j3AHaapEHpqznZWwriEYD3Xax/s1600/Amish+blog-11.jpg" /></a><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It seemed as if every Amish home/compound had animals roaming around on their yellow-flower-filled-land! Did you know that all Amish owned horses are thoroughbreds?! Makes perfect sense with all the work they do, right?!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKI25AsE5G_OZWiM3CuRYI8hKrC8DCGCfeq9hpXZ0pWK1S_0tgsCDdx3tRjtuHNeD18qHfkWkQHDHSnnBSvqMWDLclQpqqGKZlaU9NSlR6CBTJGbpS-CX5WDu1PnklcJM1CsihClrGSDp/s1600/Amish+blog+vert-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKI25AsE5G_OZWiM3CuRYI8hKrC8DCGCfeq9hpXZ0pWK1S_0tgsCDdx3tRjtuHNeD18qHfkWkQHDHSnnBSvqMWDLclQpqqGKZlaU9NSlR6CBTJGbpS-CX5WDu1PnklcJM1CsihClrGSDp/s1600/Amish+blog+vert-9.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie05Ly32wQxnzAv9yQznfwobIOU1qo6dRbGU4hYB50YFVflnydO4wJRWA1K9qrMRksUpDA-OmPx6MHpT47aCjcgXrFC1RKYB1x_cPpeGZMtor2bWZLn73jaVgHSqhbbBHbZS7gfbs5njRi/s1600/Amish+blog+diptich-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie05Ly32wQxnzAv9yQznfwobIOU1qo6dRbGU4hYB50YFVflnydO4wJRWA1K9qrMRksUpDA-OmPx6MHpT47aCjcgXrFC1RKYB1x_cPpeGZMtor2bWZLn73jaVgHSqhbbBHbZS7gfbs5njRi/s1600/Amish+blog+diptich-9.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1OQNzk9J1pbeBlxcvvXarIF0iRusS4Y2JK0GVMPrYRsS7qljLhsxEVBOV26Qje5_2JoLH9fig3Xh5stdSJC9c5WM5x_6HVRNCvVg-WAVF3hv47HcMEIYrovHDotd-LcXWNVVYxwB6jXQ/s1600/Amish+blog-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1OQNzk9J1pbeBlxcvvXarIF0iRusS4Y2JK0GVMPrYRsS7qljLhsxEVBOV26Qje5_2JoLH9fig3Xh5stdSJC9c5WM5x_6HVRNCvVg-WAVF3hv47HcMEIYrovHDotd-LcXWNVVYxwB6jXQ/s1600/Amish+blog-19.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This little schmooch was only a week or so old!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxITk20GWlSKAHwVk6bxiZjKQ2iJmTMo9fBsBjsZ_X_ajH689uO_m7gjvttjbpMZWbuHWsCTBFUQKiDqVaz6GI6DBNtitHuwiBnMVBAMpbAAkH1GKc9-TFpQTdf219BNXTVdK7MpqoLIn/s1600/Amish+blog+vert-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxITk20GWlSKAHwVk6bxiZjKQ2iJmTMo9fBsBjsZ_X_ajH689uO_m7gjvttjbpMZWbuHWsCTBFUQKiDqVaz6GI6DBNtitHuwiBnMVBAMpbAAkH1GKc9-TFpQTdf219BNXTVdK7MpqoLIn/s1600/Amish+blog+vert-23.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Amish's primary form of transportation are their buggies, but if they're young (or sometimes old) and just need to get somewhere close, they ride these "bikes". We asked one of the guy how much one was to buy and he said they're about $200, which I thought was super expensive. What's interesting about the Amish though is that if you just looked at them on the street, you'd think they were dirt poor because they're shoe-less, dirty, and have terrible hygiene, but they're actually some of the richest people in the state of Pennsylvania! So, really, what's a $200 bike to them?!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzj6ZRWGKh7a6U-X-_GhmlZ39yn-KD3cOvtRg9WvG4hGSf1mcEqD8Aia2W0WEsCE6rntdTl7Ki2gZXEm_LLqoqNOKx9Wi7rWPb6vLRxtbu7jGRbKppaPY0WbLMGSZx6nS55j5Z60sePne/s1600/Amish+blog-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzj6ZRWGKh7a6U-X-_GhmlZ39yn-KD3cOvtRg9WvG4hGSf1mcEqD8Aia2W0WEsCE6rntdTl7Ki2gZXEm_LLqoqNOKx9Wi7rWPb6vLRxtbu7jGRbKppaPY0WbLMGSZx6nS55j5Z60sePne/s1600/Amish+blog-16.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How funny is it that the Amish village is called Intercourse?! I'll tell you what, after talking with quite a few of them, intercourse is definitely not something they're lacking - most had between 6 and 8 kids! ...And, apparently because of the town's name, the signs are frequently stolen right out of the ground! lol</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiea_36MT6elqPSZPhyZ_k3QRFURWCscdRf8G1UZaKb_YAYixeBMg4SdFQthoqpbnRVhf3-lpMpMCwX_q4X-JKvYNuqzqi5ZUBpbYqPKRlxpgzMFr0UoHcDhyphenhyphenorrBcuBgbBZlTOEzPJtQ8A/s1600/Amish+blog+diptich-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiea_36MT6elqPSZPhyZ_k3QRFURWCscdRf8G1UZaKb_YAYixeBMg4SdFQthoqpbnRVhf3-lpMpMCwX_q4X-JKvYNuqzqi5ZUBpbYqPKRlxpgzMFr0UoHcDhyphenhyphenorrBcuBgbBZlTOEzPJtQ8A/s1600/Amish+blog+diptich-10.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Despite the sporadic rain throughout the day, we saw about 75 Amish in total! They were out and about building a barn...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP-4aZqDrvTt9PI93rP4K5dBRRulKjiWnZWKt_nIyWVgxBCqGWMaFw85JTRV3YmDkz7Y5_ntc_pHFgzm4YspcXY4QT1SiYu0EZ3jeRW5MmI1_u8qDCBUveBPrD5mGT6lraWktZJLs_tFO/s1600/Amish+blog+diptich-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP-4aZqDrvTt9PI93rP4K5dBRRulKjiWnZWKt_nIyWVgxBCqGWMaFw85JTRV3YmDkz7Y5_ntc_pHFgzm4YspcXY4QT1SiYu0EZ3jeRW5MmI1_u8qDCBUveBPrD5mGT6lraWktZJLs_tFO/s1600/Amish+blog+diptich-11.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
... playing in the dirt..</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1jMb5BVFdtX7G5g9EM49YN_fuQTic6UW-u6TDbk_7Sk2IbiXrynr32Kj3Ei06s1w_pbCvPASJh1481D7OwgCASWmjlydJoz0AIgf4rqwzm5gXBYHKtCGw0VI9q8p2aUWAFu7QHEGdcO3/s1600/Amish+blog+diptich-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1jMb5BVFdtX7G5g9EM49YN_fuQTic6UW-u6TDbk_7Sk2IbiXrynr32Kj3Ei06s1w_pbCvPASJh1481D7OwgCASWmjlydJoz0AIgf4rqwzm5gXBYHKtCGw0VI9q8p2aUWAFu7QHEGdcO3/s1600/Amish+blog+diptich-7.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
... young guys farming on their land...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjIyQot5zfVoGHv-4DNlDPL9Q7V1fqc9DA86KC7MGetUIQVdyH6INYXjKdoR03o5Ied8dRYziI0k8hQ5jaokdzlb2WKrFPNTdDz6AHPQ8GlDEcWFOzYWpuB5RNlin5HhuXvkDMDxoNvVq/s1600/Amish+blog-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjIyQot5zfVoGHv-4DNlDPL9Q7V1fqc9DA86KC7MGetUIQVdyH6INYXjKdoR03o5Ied8dRYziI0k8hQ5jaokdzlb2WKrFPNTdDz6AHPQ8GlDEcWFOzYWpuB5RNlin5HhuXvkDMDxoNvVq/s1600/Amish+blog-12.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqjkWfdgmcRf-FyWDC60_47z4Oy4X9M25sz41Mic5chTeBEeDYdFxrDC2dQQekRxUoaIYvq35-wNZzR6ztxcz7iN8XqSELt5HebH7oufFbvFq21JuxWry0DBiISMHpFUwY23OBUj09fqB/s1600/Amish+blog-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqjkWfdgmcRf-FyWDC60_47z4Oy4X9M25sz41Mic5chTeBEeDYdFxrDC2dQQekRxUoaIYvq35-wNZzR6ztxcz7iN8XqSELt5HebH7oufFbvFq21JuxWry0DBiISMHpFUwY23OBUj09fqB/s1600/Amish+blog-30.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLQnODLCzg4oYa38Zzdo27VutOEoPXeNxnCPRcLlcIL0P2ZsoM-xs1JAllfvDd1kCb6VCXXcVMExa7aBXp-AYFt7c205rsugfnRD-WrhXXp-YUlhL-wnwA11DynbIJ8G4TjmsHgKR_CT8/s1600/Amish+blog-31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLQnODLCzg4oYa38Zzdo27VutOEoPXeNxnCPRcLlcIL0P2ZsoM-xs1JAllfvDd1kCb6VCXXcVMExa7aBXp-AYFt7c205rsugfnRD-WrhXXp-YUlhL-wnwA11DynbIJ8G4TjmsHgKR_CT8/s1600/Amish+blog-31.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
... and high school age guys riding their horse drawn plows down the middle of the street...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARqQlT7FGI8Owjlexn-wSgQH9UXfGqmX2TgV7ZfJqDuATNX-x4dUgKVYRDTWTme8qQjdm6vbMRyUosj4FmcOX-shUnFWoDO8ALDORn64F5ugKjspQKq4VVA4ik6ohXDROEC_KWc3o6wLR/s1600/Amish+blog-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARqQlT7FGI8Owjlexn-wSgQH9UXfGqmX2TgV7ZfJqDuATNX-x4dUgKVYRDTWTme8qQjdm6vbMRyUosj4FmcOX-shUnFWoDO8ALDORn64F5ugKjspQKq4VVA4ik6ohXDROEC_KWc3o6wLR/s1600/Amish+blog-13.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Amish don't like having their picture taken, so it's nearly impossible to get a shot of their face, but we paparazzi-style-drive-by-shot them (that sounds bad, but you get the gist) and snapped a couple anyway. They're just too awesome not to photograph!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1b2caI_4D5c-2P-KOjjba6f82CC1SOHA9b1hWXP0VXW-s95WNhCrn_-xgp2mO8fCQL-pFCM9lxTp73Ilnr9XzkrYip-u6Iki4K5Rtf7YonswWH-NbfKTbrYD_nSrSVnaZKMLa2bFNWl0k/s1600/Amish+blog-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1b2caI_4D5c-2P-KOjjba6f82CC1SOHA9b1hWXP0VXW-s95WNhCrn_-xgp2mO8fCQL-pFCM9lxTp73Ilnr9XzkrYip-u6Iki4K5Rtf7YonswWH-NbfKTbrYD_nSrSVnaZKMLa2bFNWl0k/s1600/Amish+blog-25.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAk-tgGLLtjs6jgnkxcTL4yStXE25zgcV6dnVMhrUAZESo0XQVXGPG04cQGFfhFVyFWZaJAJ6Uyvq22bpUn5lU1lcNki2_cNAyKhkBEZxACOuBf4iws7Ss9qQWgJ9MRcjr-VFj7xlo9MCc/s1600/Amish+blog-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAk-tgGLLtjs6jgnkxcTL4yStXE25zgcV6dnVMhrUAZESo0XQVXGPG04cQGFfhFVyFWZaJAJ6Uyvq22bpUn5lU1lcNki2_cNAyKhkBEZxACOuBf4iws7Ss9qQWgJ9MRcjr-VFj7xlo9MCc/s1600/Amish+blog-26.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qcRN09FGcZOTYJmYFoTYkOwgF1L-tU9izn8HtPHLxgxyQTDj2IWGA76QKjFVCtQaCXNj04JlVJmCwkYtND-LqfU5JU81uDPeuCu48I2yZMJpJx-ICSUpfZLeyXxxrtWNb2V7sY2O9Ugw/s1600/Amish+blog-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qcRN09FGcZOTYJmYFoTYkOwgF1L-tU9izn8HtPHLxgxyQTDj2IWGA76QKjFVCtQaCXNj04JlVJmCwkYtND-LqfU5JU81uDPeuCu48I2yZMJpJx-ICSUpfZLeyXxxrtWNb2V7sY2O9Ugw/s1600/Amish+blog-28.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Aaron and I really wanted to get an up-close and personal experience with at least 1 Amish person while we were there, so when we saw a handwritten sign that read, "Pick your own flowers" in front of an Amish house, we pulled right up to the house ready to pick some flowers and say hello! We were met by 3 sweet little Amish kids between the ages of 5 and 10 who very properly said, "I'll go get my mom" and sheepishly scurried into their house. Their young mom came out and smiled a rotten tooth smile (hygene isn't the most important aspect of Amish life) and guided us to her garden where she told us the flowers were 4 for a dollar! 4 for a dollar! YES!!! Her little girl very quietly helped me pick the best 4 pink peonies while the other two awkwardly stared at us as we walked around the garden, smiling here and there... and then waved us off as we drove away. After that interaction, we were hooked! We decided that we would stop at every house with a sign outside saying something was for sale! :) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(I brought the flowers home and put them in a vase for Carol, which she loved!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLYrjJ0a-S-hpoNVqHRLjsutIJyU3JZz-6z9tIDIY3NCa0P-UJmxtQI6QdM0cYcma1hFNZtpQHPoIOjpKxIGDe2wg40pcL5rcod48RFesnnLqglayAunaLDREKVavt2Ao6reJMsXUD_KY/s1600/Amish+blog+diptich-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLYrjJ0a-S-hpoNVqHRLjsutIJyU3JZz-6z9tIDIY3NCa0P-UJmxtQI6QdM0cYcma1hFNZtpQHPoIOjpKxIGDe2wg40pcL5rcod48RFesnnLqglayAunaLDREKVavt2Ao6reJMsXUD_KY/s1600/Amish+blog+diptich-8.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So, we decided to go to all of the houses selling stuff, except for this one... We're not all that interested in goat milk!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhww3RUocnLdWf0mbFuIPPXqM7Nclwb8V7KGL0pelKadILk9Nln4i-0h1iAdKW2bne_v2by36c7-QgMWxe96olLPffE9OaIQg1ncRu7re-kD7gTHkh0SbAP5LZn_k9u8rFslHoHguMaHiVp/s1600/Amish+blog-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhww3RUocnLdWf0mbFuIPPXqM7Nclwb8V7KGL0pelKadILk9Nln4i-0h1iAdKW2bne_v2by36c7-QgMWxe96olLPffE9OaIQg1ncRu7re-kD7gTHkh0SbAP5LZn_k9u8rFslHoHguMaHiVp/s1600/Amish+blog-29.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
But we did stop here! Neither of us are fans of Sauerkraut, but luckily they sold Apple Butter, so we picked some of that up instead! We met a dad and 2 of his sons, all of whom had rotten teeth, dirty clothes and no shoes on! lol And talk about being socially awkward, they were some of the most awkward of all, however they kept the conversation going. We were always really careful not to overstay our welcome, so if they asked us questions, we just stuck around and took in the experience! I asked the 14 year old son if he was born in the house and he answered in his adorable dutch English accent, "Oh, I don't know where I was born" as if he'd never thought to ask, and his dad said, "He was born here, in the house". I loved it! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpC_0jVSrkkROm72D6OXiY2OTC3o2fRwv5VcoAiRRzf3ypJ0aenDjghoKIfb7cBY_4jS__ms89PNh2KpzjqXK_BXw_SXvJiTP7HgKzCl5Bt4mQQYFDsI33p447fLE_4odwSUxkQD72vMIC/s1600/Amish+blog-34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpC_0jVSrkkROm72D6OXiY2OTC3o2fRwv5VcoAiRRzf3ypJ0aenDjghoKIfb7cBY_4jS__ms89PNh2KpzjqXK_BXw_SXvJiTP7HgKzCl5Bt4mQQYFDsI33p447fLE_4odwSUxkQD72vMIC/s1600/Amish+blog-34.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Next stop was for some Amish cheese! My sister had told us to buy some while we were there, so luckily we got the chance to! We pulled up into a compound and parked the car between the barn and the main house and walked toward their little storefront. Inside was a folding table with a money box on top and a piece of paper and pen with the customer's name and the item they bought. Gotta love the honor system! We were kinda bummed cuz we thought we wouldn't get the chance to meet anyone, but sure enough, a woman in her late 20's and her husband (I think) with the longest, coolest, ratty beard, came and met us and gave us their best recommendation for cheese. They said this was their most popular selling. hhmmmm... We bought it anyway! :) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc1ulEVPI5GY0qdxTv7tQvNAiub3KcuMKYWdoi1LjrLVOrkwfzu6AX5KXc0koCyqNJ061RN3F77QS5nCr8MKrtSYm24wwO2bRrtS4ZSivqGU5RYuhzU6AALtCE0IANAvYtfBdlpbUkhsR/s1600/Amish+blog-32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc1ulEVPI5GY0qdxTv7tQvNAiub3KcuMKYWdoi1LjrLVOrkwfzu6AX5KXc0koCyqNJ061RN3F77QS5nCr8MKrtSYm24wwO2bRrtS4ZSivqGU5RYuhzU6AALtCE0IANAvYtfBdlpbUkhsR/s1600/Amish+blog-32.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Our next stop was here! Who doesn't love a greeting card, handmade by the Amish?! We pulled in and parked between their GIANT house, garden and barn, where we were met by the dad, who was re-finishing furniture in his workshop on the first floor of the barn. I told him we'd like to purchase a greeting card and he motioned for us to follow him upstairs, where we were brought to a small table with about 75 handmade greeting cards. He said his daughter was born with Spina bifida and is confined to a wheelchair in the house. She makes these to contribute to the family finances. We talked with him for a long time about our travels, his family, and his furniture business. Then he asked us what we did for a living. Aaron answered, "We're photographers" and he kinda cocked his head to one side and looked at us funny and said, "What's that?" Then Aaron motioned like he was taking a picture with his hands and the dad perked up and said, "Oh, yea, yea. I know about that." I almost died!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbyjruWgQQsKszS3AcO0VBbAzmffWwQFToif2DPHdNymrFQheKagXOHDGhrHsZuTRhU3gvpmnnPPpmcyFDXMVs78KaIzNpT6WxbclkNmCtx4LsjT-u_dCrL72Dy_KwR6oQd9zGdnA_oTQ/s1600/Amish+blog-36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbyjruWgQQsKszS3AcO0VBbAzmffWwQFToif2DPHdNymrFQheKagXOHDGhrHsZuTRhU3gvpmnnPPpmcyFDXMVs78KaIzNpT6WxbclkNmCtx4LsjT-u_dCrL72Dy_KwR6oQd9zGdnA_oTQ/s1600/Amish+blog-36.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We bought this one, which his daughter had hand painted for $1.50. :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnB7RiuNxJ3RnQ9XFyJKuvjTjW_jGuLIh4XfpTzNg9kGg4-k0LKWye81hjZY02INQL9unH6P47iSnmwrfeHEwFxPdHCPcyRh0xV0RegMlD2XlVU7upUlrHjmkXFcNjAKx_tf9bzwEG16V3/s1600/Amish+blog-37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnB7RiuNxJ3RnQ9XFyJKuvjTjW_jGuLIh4XfpTzNg9kGg4-k0LKWye81hjZY02INQL9unH6P47iSnmwrfeHEwFxPdHCPcyRh0xV0RegMlD2XlVU7upUlrHjmkXFcNjAKx_tf9bzwEG16V3/s1600/Amish+blog-37.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We were stuffed from eating lunch, the apples I bought at the grocery store earlier, and the chips we'd been passing back and forth during our 100 mile adventure through Amish country, but when we saw this sign, we couldn't resist! We parked and walked into their family store and were met by a young girl in her 20's who was very friendly, but again, very socially awkward. I told her that I was so excited to try a Fry Pie and that I didn't know what it was. She literally grabbed one off the shelf, unwrapped it, cut it into pieces for us and handed us each half to tastes as a "sample"! We were gonna buy one regardless, but she gave us the whole thing for FREE! So, we bought 2 more! They were delicious and extra special because she makes them here at her house! :) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeevI1Q7LxrKHien6XJ4V9piGAhb3ukR8NHYCaw2QtPH7frEA_Wqt54DN0JfrHiVmjxt22Z3cwBEInKE1a-U2UYXaCRlI7tY0Cp2Teh62AylSv_dC_KiVMm-8L4bvZPEObG9i_tbFSOXa9/s1600/Amish+blog-39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeevI1Q7LxrKHien6XJ4V9piGAhb3ukR8NHYCaw2QtPH7frEA_Wqt54DN0JfrHiVmjxt22Z3cwBEInKE1a-U2UYXaCRlI7tY0Cp2Teh62AylSv_dC_KiVMm-8L4bvZPEObG9i_tbFSOXa9/s1600/Amish+blog-39.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Next stop was this strawberry farm, which unfortunately we didn't get to meet anyone at. I think it was probably dinner time and they were busy inside eating together... but I did buy some organic strawberries and put my money in an honor system box!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCWUTFNruZXbCxE5kuVeaczSBUeFJfvhrSRwfIIkzhqTzHwbYUF_Moj2gq2vghUk1Dt5jyvmTqeLNrB362J4w7-vSbEBqBff2dyN58ObjubbUB1lCGisFk-J0CMKEajNhh9AMw3Ubzi64/s1600/Amish+blog+vert-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCWUTFNruZXbCxE5kuVeaczSBUeFJfvhrSRwfIIkzhqTzHwbYUF_Moj2gq2vghUk1Dt5jyvmTqeLNrB362J4w7-vSbEBqBff2dyN58ObjubbUB1lCGisFk-J0CMKEajNhh9AMw3Ubzi64/s1600/Amish+blog+vert-24.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Our last <i>Amish home stop</i> was here, for homemade root beer! I don't even like root beer, but I do like meeting the Amish, so off we went! lol This picture is a lot brighter than what it looked like when we got here... When we opened the big barn doors and went inside their little store, there were no other customers there and it was so dark inside I almost tripped twice (since they don't use electricity), but 2 little Amish girls were standing behind the counter to meet us. It was like stepping back 100 years! They were pretty weary of us, regardless of my big ole' smile and Aaron's kind eyes (I love when people say that about him)! And I'm pretty sure the younger one didn't speak a lick of English. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqq-XlwN6MZwtznX4ejS3nnEX5KL8TE7haC1Ufx7jVOdEMnuaLbfcBrWQm1JMjWQrdWITgIHu2L4hvyBtVxdoGRPP5rwiblUMukgaAL5sapgwLMkq1UmPEdBu_nHegMiVwkWIpPRpR4EV/s1600/Amish+blog-40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqq-XlwN6MZwtznX4ejS3nnEX5KL8TE7haC1Ufx7jVOdEMnuaLbfcBrWQm1JMjWQrdWITgIHu2L4hvyBtVxdoGRPP5rwiblUMukgaAL5sapgwLMkq1UmPEdBu_nHegMiVwkWIpPRpR4EV/s1600/Amish+blog-40.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'll leave you with two of my favorite moments/photos of this Amish trip! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPQPVMK9LZFb0ssfY1Ovuz9pBC5VHKlC3YjlLCs0nkVDMIZJKL3YT3pAuCyCrIhmAv52wQFglrFA0Tj8V-WJ7Xt8rrLzsTC4K0vqgPm3zPIV3AU0V94XznSjvBGWDbI67eGhqY63TWw94/s1600/Amish+blog-33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPQPVMK9LZFb0ssfY1Ovuz9pBC5VHKlC3YjlLCs0nkVDMIZJKL3YT3pAuCyCrIhmAv52wQFglrFA0Tj8V-WJ7Xt8rrLzsTC4K0vqgPm3zPIV3AU0V94XznSjvBGWDbI67eGhqY63TWw94/s1600/Amish+blog-33.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
... and this one, snapped by Aaron out the passenger side window. :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCybtlACFRRtPXUIy6bzz6w8tLgCXboe7T6CmyK7McMK6YdHyrr7uVcZnY8MtAbdJJB-A-aid_St8cYklYyyTjypHLF2HldK3vfOPJ2rQn-MdvXZiFlmANXlyNAeMb7ZyPJG2tFcfNzSM/s1600/Amish+blog+vert-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCybtlACFRRtPXUIy6bzz6w8tLgCXboe7T6CmyK7McMK6YdHyrr7uVcZnY8MtAbdJJB-A-aid_St8cYklYyyTjypHLF2HldK3vfOPJ2rQn-MdvXZiFlmANXlyNAeMb7ZyPJG2tFcfNzSM/s1600/Amish+blog+vert-10.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So, there you have it! Who wants to meet the Amish?!</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-10613877458140261842013-05-21T23:00:00.000-07:002013-05-24T09:35:18.445-07:00Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'm not gonna lie, the thing I was most excited about seeing in Pittsburgh, PA was the Abby Lee Dance Studio featured on one of my favorite guilty pleasure TV shows: <a href="http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/dance-moms" target="_blank">Dance Moms</a>! Aaron has sat and watched it with me (more than once - or twice - please don't kill me for saying that!) so while he made fun of me for going here I think he secretly wanted to see it too! haha </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHRjntWXbGGhRmeCXiX2t84J_9r0brvqYNJ49_Byf9P0SisM_nIPQS5Y3gSUwkl3jW8FBQtcMzGAWCCf1skC3sl4dC1q6eZKeWXjUrbm-1p3VITlzC0BQt2GuiHlXjKrdZl-hK_uzQKqC/s1600/Pittcburg+blog-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHRjntWXbGGhRmeCXiX2t84J_9r0brvqYNJ49_Byf9P0SisM_nIPQS5Y3gSUwkl3jW8FBQtcMzGAWCCf1skC3sl4dC1q6eZKeWXjUrbm-1p3VITlzC0BQt2GuiHlXjKrdZl-hK_uzQKqC/s1600/Pittcburg+blog-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Pittsburgh was another big shock to me! I always thought it was small, boring, dirty, and nowhere I'd ever wanna visit, but I was pleasantly surprised! It's a really cool city!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovbxqp4GS57ZY2F2H3I7Wgs8b-WEVmE2R5yffTXnzabclmHiOLRwOSEkFlGC-KhZJfEG_AC-DQC5ZO4dzUKz76xQTmIcdXVGY5mVR36KZ_Nez_PzpjaXoBo-85Q6ozHTp5wZQiIBeOHbf/s1600/Pittcburg+blog-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovbxqp4GS57ZY2F2H3I7Wgs8b-WEVmE2R5yffTXnzabclmHiOLRwOSEkFlGC-KhZJfEG_AC-DQC5ZO4dzUKz76xQTmIcdXVGY5mVR36KZ_Nez_PzpjaXoBo-85Q6ozHTp5wZQiIBeOHbf/s1600/Pittcburg+blog-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We bought tickets to the Pittsburgh Pirates vs the Chicago Cubs game on stubhub for $10 each, and had fantastic seats in section 108 row M, right near the field. I actually walked up to the top of the stadium to snap this photo, which may have been an even cooler view than where we were sitting. Depends what you wanna look at I guess!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbDMSqAwpgJxIj0bVCw9nreirPu-llPFKsJFUs06u1RbAMy-uTiDSaSeKBV35Xj3r_tQBmy6Pft97tzGx7xpz7nToETQqgM4iLfy6Cnpcz8G-NxIxdN5i4qVL5i51qtXC8UJrskTOwTyt/s1600/Pittcburg+blog-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbDMSqAwpgJxIj0bVCw9nreirPu-llPFKsJFUs06u1RbAMy-uTiDSaSeKBV35Xj3r_tQBmy6Pft97tzGx7xpz7nToETQqgM4iLfy6Cnpcz8G-NxIxdN5i4qVL5i51qtXC8UJrskTOwTyt/s1600/Pittcburg+blog-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The old man checking tickets up there literally grabbed my camera and motioned for me to go down to the railing for a photo. I think my years in Korea have worn off on me because I just kind of did what he said. You never say no to your elder in Asia! He snapped about 5 photos and kept saying, "Okay now wave! Now make a funny face! Now smile and look at me! etc" I'll leave you with this one to tell the story with... lol</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ypfEaAwfOb8_hEY3cGBVryYL1DJSurMKGvLHZD3oMwiRmctR1CEKPROoE77xEZX2XTBlxFuFZdOpPUWsbL8Sw_9jwJEp_ZIAjZMICCK9MANpiYxUO3sqfjL5JQsQ6jhxPnlSRFhvQ_UQ/s1600/Pittcburg+blog-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ypfEaAwfOb8_hEY3cGBVryYL1DJSurMKGvLHZD3oMwiRmctR1CEKPROoE77xEZX2XTBlxFuFZdOpPUWsbL8Sw_9jwJEp_ZIAjZMICCK9MANpiYxUO3sqfjL5JQsQ6jhxPnlSRFhvQ_UQ/s1600/Pittcburg+blog-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We stayed till the very end of the game, which was a bit of a nail biter (but the Pirates won!), and got to see Jose Contreras, apparently one of "the greats", during his pitching practice. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeHib1XrD46S4ehO4z5DUNVWnwv6LzsjCs8he2OHGQtiqa6bOktQisSBxqkPLdOEo6sQ34Lc7ORXIxaHzHXVbZER0VC83s6j1DzWPSPGg4qdc2R7zy-KVruAM_-ZqxWyE00wGjGD40bSL/s1600/Pittcburg+blog-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeHib1XrD46S4ehO4z5DUNVWnwv6LzsjCs8he2OHGQtiqa6bOktQisSBxqkPLdOEo6sQ34Lc7ORXIxaHzHXVbZER0VC83s6j1DzWPSPGg4qdc2R7zy-KVruAM_-ZqxWyE00wGjGD40bSL/s1600/Pittcburg+blog-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It rained a little during the game, but that was part of the fun of it, and the other fun part was our walk back to the car, over this awesome bridge, into town. Isn't Pittsburgh beautiful at night time?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJg8hRjNtL2GuznqSgfYsFAvhE4-WNAoRiIvdIih1eS2w27THGfoNymiaaD56x7UYBY4RXJ-4sKJ-UUwB4TIz9bmCZKRLxiW2tt5-WKdcrhG-qvoTGYcONrSNS17-0rRGCEptemXwtLADL/s1600/Pittcburg+blog-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJg8hRjNtL2GuznqSgfYsFAvhE4-WNAoRiIvdIih1eS2w27THGfoNymiaaD56x7UYBY4RXJ-4sKJ-UUwB4TIz9bmCZKRLxiW2tt5-WKdcrhG-qvoTGYcONrSNS17-0rRGCEptemXwtLADL/s1600/Pittcburg+blog-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We stayed in a great little hotel in town and got a great night of sleep before heading East to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Amish country! </div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-87237895894051406932013-05-21T20:08:00.000-07:002013-05-24T09:35:34.652-07:00Louisville, Kentucky - yeehaw!<div style="text-align: center;">
We made it to Kentucky! Woot woot!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7rm8cTB-WNZaPGnvT_gIWeFr5fcb3TsLvhQlqSa_A5AObgn8dLRtBVH0DbpYsgO1ByEoH7E02wBL4d8w38tsZNP1JL8PnUvCbIpgFLOBxcLZ4L94kO4V6XTlQKR-B7MtN0m7QSZ-LHwX/s1600/Louisville+blog-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7rm8cTB-WNZaPGnvT_gIWeFr5fcb3TsLvhQlqSa_A5AObgn8dLRtBVH0DbpYsgO1ByEoH7E02wBL4d8w38tsZNP1JL8PnUvCbIpgFLOBxcLZ4L94kO4V6XTlQKR-B7MtN0m7QSZ-LHwX/s640/Louisville+blog-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
As it turns out, Kentucky isn't as <i>podunk</i> as I always thought it was! It's a beautiful city with old/restored buildings, great restaurants, cool museums and tons of history... oh and fields and fields of these gorgeous yellow flowers just outside of the city center!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fALrN6CnE8XydY4uPKvxz-5sPDnRHKjTZR-673OMOFSKJ0WsAEb_yavMWddHuHbIuJgV0_Ssw7hb9wUgIhi9Lrpzu1LyKhJNcheigN2KQ55lnZVjTdmx6yEXhch0PEmiEJr7AJVKtJSc/s1600/Louisville+blog-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fALrN6CnE8XydY4uPKvxz-5sPDnRHKjTZR-673OMOFSKJ0WsAEb_yavMWddHuHbIuJgV0_Ssw7hb9wUgIhi9Lrpzu1LyKhJNcheigN2KQ55lnZVjTdmx6yEXhch0PEmiEJr7AJVKtJSc/s1600/Louisville+blog-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We took a drive up Market and Main St, two fantastic old streets in downtown Louisville (sorry, no pics) and then headed over to a place called Hammerheads for dinner (a hip restaurant in the basement of an old home on the corner)! It was a recommendation from Charles, our young, hip, gay, and super helpful bed and breakfast host!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Pb84qxqEePsO75hXyCdIt78RbtnU4ti3r71BBw9_vsJ_Q3uupHTeaztYAwRvHn3XvtWTVU-F-950KZPunLibDAJha3-0c81FbKc07t8WvSFtTzOtbNFi0Byk8d6UcmHz9p1m8NnXJLan/s1600/Louisville+blog-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Pb84qxqEePsO75hXyCdIt78RbtnU4ti3r71BBw9_vsJ_Q3uupHTeaztYAwRvHn3XvtWTVU-F-950KZPunLibDAJha3-0c81FbKc07t8WvSFtTzOtbNFi0Byk8d6UcmHz9p1m8NnXJLan/s1600/Louisville+blog-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... and it was a GREAT recommendation! Aaron's brisket sandwich was UN-real and made me wish I hadn't opted for the healthy salad option! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCFP73LEQDg-wgBzjQb3_zgjrcvhTU43BHQ0POExjsM8D7qmdL2ZdYYtlchdylIpd-UD8DG03ejeDpEPj4eYpIrsIy0J_5EYTp5VmdRZZ7J1PTAapW2sJJfi4oXkSn_zaukJ8VCtV6l2U/s1600/Louisville+blog-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCFP73LEQDg-wgBzjQb3_zgjrcvhTU43BHQ0POExjsM8D7qmdL2ZdYYtlchdylIpd-UD8DG03ejeDpEPj4eYpIrsIy0J_5EYTp5VmdRZZ7J1PTAapW2sJJfi4oXkSn_zaukJ8VCtV6l2U/s1600/Louisville+blog-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
After dinner, we checked out Thomas Edison's house where he grew up and did quite a few of his inventions...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3ZaI1s-ok1FOWmHgpFEluP4RX57p3XBpQ2zZRhC-NvbEmBX-e2CMWobfZWsaMf8ntRadM02eMLPNJxowGubllfBNHfyQ2Q7PylsuaE3vD_YO1PwYaM0nbN5ic79TbQaR2eAUuVk2l0cy/s1600/Louisville+blog-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3ZaI1s-ok1FOWmHgpFEluP4RX57p3XBpQ2zZRhC-NvbEmBX-e2CMWobfZWsaMf8ntRadM02eMLPNJxowGubllfBNHfyQ2Q7PylsuaE3vD_YO1PwYaM0nbN5ic79TbQaR2eAUuVk2l0cy/s1600/Louisville+blog-12.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and then drove west on River Rd (a road lined with beautiful country estates on the bluffs overlooking the Ohio River....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctTUeJWSRy0ATEkVspf0TyrniY6ARSN0N2ERO2G97-9iZpvmfW0on8WsqBzqhsDj4FRzcaaL97TxFaveGzDeAzGopUQHcoaEGeGx_gCdXUKRKRa0MxKOZ9yTid_rqbTGBPq6x8_7BqqxS/s1600/Louisville+blog-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctTUeJWSRy0ATEkVspf0TyrniY6ARSN0N2ERO2G97-9iZpvmfW0on8WsqBzqhsDj4FRzcaaL97TxFaveGzDeAzGopUQHcoaEGeGx_gCdXUKRKRa0MxKOZ9yTid_rqbTGBPq6x8_7BqqxS/s1600/Louisville+blog-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... and front yards big enough to fit a football field, or two!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbEvNNRAQxYRB3YHcqSnlvzzmhZXwxiQ0OAtcCYnIjrfgc2SMRBZ7-aJ9Ew6Dch5oGsupAo8LgwLRLPSvu4DnabA6pv1WV4OwFaAIzS3oo5hYcqhBMGx4bQrVkt6kZd4KdILioHGTzG6n/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbEvNNRAQxYRB3YHcqSnlvzzmhZXwxiQ0OAtcCYnIjrfgc2SMRBZ7-aJ9Ew6Dch5oGsupAo8LgwLRLPSvu4DnabA6pv1WV4OwFaAIzS3oo5hYcqhBMGx4bQrVkt6kZd4KdILioHGTzG6n/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Oh and remember those fields of yellow flowers I talked about earlier, well imagine them covering ALL of your land!! These people in Kentucky are living the life! I mean look at this field!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8A664-hJICMP-jeYs3yoRfUHc0wGtliCXxbzd6OV6JeI-O3v8vuApfVRnmv0V4TweF5Fs6v6T7iRbrM7hl5yyxQ-VsPJTC1E9cHFdarNiK65YjxOCv7hkqoKqutJsIbVDSF2yNQTgLOVx/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8A664-hJICMP-jeYs3yoRfUHc0wGtliCXxbzd6OV6JeI-O3v8vuApfVRnmv0V4TweF5Fs6v6T7iRbrM7hl5yyxQ-VsPJTC1E9cHFdarNiK65YjxOCv7hkqoKqutJsIbVDSF2yNQTgLOVx/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
As we were driving around, we would notice facades of buildings still standing and the rest of the building being completely gone. I love that they have kept the facades up to show the history of the city. We saw three or four more right in the middle of downtown! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalv6fumgpckMl1BfzvRiNUNIyBFV6R-LMTADeU_x65FpaoJ4889AW8DXwGPH62P8GrQ-EZKOvZWza8TGOTfc0cT0MFNlf2E4KvS93xJADGZKEbvB7WusFYHaB6uaOlzSE31-ug8vQpFlo/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalv6fumgpckMl1BfzvRiNUNIyBFV6R-LMTADeU_x65FpaoJ4889AW8DXwGPH62P8GrQ-EZKOvZWza8TGOTfc0cT0MFNlf2E4KvS93xJADGZKEbvB7WusFYHaB6uaOlzSE31-ug8vQpFlo/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Next stop on our whirlwind Louisville tour was Widow's Walk Ice Creamery, an ice cream shop just across the river in Indiana! We had read about it on wikitravel and had to check it out!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5-j-yrkV6NorP_Cz9s5lPNoIaeW9TYU40kxz5xiq0yKB5TSueI5jV_lJ1_pYTYxJqVKMd0Gg57rdQRjWjQ8t7FanI07GoaCXrt7nn7mHy3VgyQZ8tL7E7s4GIXjOyDz9gClrDG6GbVOv/s1600/Louisville+blog-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5-j-yrkV6NorP_Cz9s5lPNoIaeW9TYU40kxz5xiq0yKB5TSueI5jV_lJ1_pYTYxJqVKMd0Gg57rdQRjWjQ8t7FanI07GoaCXrt7nn7mHy3VgyQZ8tL7E7s4GIXjOyDz9gClrDG6GbVOv/s1600/Louisville+blog-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We asked the owner what he recommended and 3 minutes later, we were handed a pile of reeses cup ice cream, brownies, whipped cream, and a cherry on top! Thank goodness we decided to share something!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOWqrasFlGJe8UYRl22o52MG2IdYyUPjKJKFTWJZtwYkLcVKo1RHoBdDnsM2EAMnuRADCDEOQnvDXnaYDRBIZEieY5IRiyKp6x1DF8mgJXKHAqtbYQAgvdk6mdr6xJdaio4hgP9TBQGFr/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOWqrasFlGJe8UYRl22o52MG2IdYyUPjKJKFTWJZtwYkLcVKo1RHoBdDnsM2EAMnuRADCDEOQnvDXnaYDRBIZEieY5IRiyKp6x1DF8mgJXKHAqtbYQAgvdk6mdr6xJdaio4hgP9TBQGFr/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We sat on a park bench and watched the sunset over the water with a great view of downtown Louisville!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfbZHnN5qtXTRx_lxVzy9_IOdv_7B89rYWblqNm4nZTKjmeFxMMuesAB29QU6Np5wWVISK4mGPMwCnPOVmIrLy8v_c7J3HhKyL_9zupxh3uEUd_wiE6PHUhV0yodGbWP_w6xihEZy7pTc/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfbZHnN5qtXTRx_lxVzy9_IOdv_7B89rYWblqNm4nZTKjmeFxMMuesAB29QU6Np5wWVISK4mGPMwCnPOVmIrLy8v_c7J3HhKyL_9zupxh3uEUd_wiE6PHUhV0yodGbWP_w6xihEZy7pTc/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Luckily, the sun never goes down around here... or at least it feels that way and we STILL had time to check out an area I had read about online called Old Louisville. St James Court is a street in OL, with houses built in the 1890's!! If you haven't caught on yet, I'm obsessed with old homes!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BwxIAd_4pcDw6F7JtGM24wvYOcjKlDqE80b0Mn_4TlJTuXx_qfT4ixUu8DkQurc-LZX04WdWWSHYslhOWe6kLyCNRhXs97rqvnQlV-tmi4j_1my22Cu8yxQMhYRFRS5x7Lqc4ttuW72S/s1600/Louisville+blog-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BwxIAd_4pcDw6F7JtGM24wvYOcjKlDqE80b0Mn_4TlJTuXx_qfT4ixUu8DkQurc-LZX04WdWWSHYslhOWe6kLyCNRhXs97rqvnQlV-tmi4j_1my22Cu8yxQMhYRFRS5x7Lqc4ttuW72S/s1600/Louisville+blog-7.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Aaron's a good sport and walks the neighborhoods with me once in a while in exchange for me attending baseball games all across the country with him! haha It's a nice little arrangement that we've made!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BK40799yru60Bowet7aJuc0AojqsPuT7MHcDdqwMUQuNEf6G2mi7U5xKkn6lIePh3JvPHZj7ZoUu7O53K9x-hjPnD665UYEHc_hnVeb9V4M1bx_qsdyTf2kBjd48vHgodqRtjmDy7l_M/s1600/Louisville+blog-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BK40799yru60Bowet7aJuc0AojqsPuT7MHcDdqwMUQuNEf6G2mi7U5xKkn6lIePh3JvPHZj7ZoUu7O53K9x-hjPnD665UYEHc_hnVeb9V4M1bx_qsdyTf2kBjd48vHgodqRtjmDy7l_M/s1600/Louisville+blog-8.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We finally called it a night and headed to Charles's apartment in the Highlands area of town. (Another www.AirBnB.com find!) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(photos taken in the morning.)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHbxvEjhs5a0My22cOWV4-aVgwGJgL940jW-V1ZOP7UkgjDPU1JXAMpn0bYfozl6Spq341PW9a133na829DiRuirGTIC8de6RwXTCn6oYBRqJzmZ3X0dy5tLQhb-ERg8S4MZH5i0TK5cK/s1600/Louisville+blog-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHbxvEjhs5a0My22cOWV4-aVgwGJgL940jW-V1ZOP7UkgjDPU1JXAMpn0bYfozl6Spq341PW9a133na829DiRuirGTIC8de6RwXTCn6oYBRqJzmZ3X0dy5tLQhb-ERg8S4MZH5i0TK5cK/s1600/Louisville+blog-11.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
His place is right smack dab in the middle of the coolest part of town, with hip restaurants, local shops, beautiful parks, and is still minutes from downtown!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9HsoizkyQ654WLHJr4C_uL4zN9gUG59quZxvVGIKP1YGxOd1XihXROetWnhmi9F-juk-bjUhG9Uwmg8kRtFhpIsadtjmwaPc6DIkARgmz4cxo1rHywrTTen7z8l6pNbPY-K4CQ__h-0k/s1600/Louisville+blog-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9HsoizkyQ654WLHJr4C_uL4zN9gUG59quZxvVGIKP1YGxOd1XihXROetWnhmi9F-juk-bjUhG9Uwmg8kRtFhpIsadtjmwaPc6DIkARgmz4cxo1rHywrTTen7z8l6pNbPY-K4CQ__h-0k/s1600/Louisville+blog-10.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The three of us sat out on the front porch for a couple hours, sipping red wine and getting to know each other. This was our room for the night. :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgE2JtJ6765PTuxkz7hJ5PqZn-_KbF4qRnNSxB9GXVVu9QHWdt4XSCwV2C0ym8zCLwk04Qu3EZ54-J6w2NL94Mfiq2EQAjnxFltYd8aDxkaGktfhcmk4xxx0CDoNuMuWbrGNvXMyuxtng/s1600/Louisville+blog-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgE2JtJ6765PTuxkz7hJ5PqZn-_KbF4qRnNSxB9GXVVu9QHWdt4XSCwV2C0ym8zCLwk04Qu3EZ54-J6w2NL94Mfiq2EQAjnxFltYd8aDxkaGktfhcmk4xxx0CDoNuMuWbrGNvXMyuxtng/s1600/Louisville+blog-9.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
How can anyone possibly here the name "Louisville, Kentucky" and not think about the Derby?! I know I couldn't, so when I realized "Loo-uh-vul" was on our way east, I knew we had to stop in and check it out! So, in the morning, we packed up the car and headed to Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby racetrack! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPso3WepYW02-qYaT_KA0V0EXQ1BVD5Kw9j74xzlPRKn-LZshdwzxItruapkbzhL8CUSz9-HdSZKirjSQl0au1x98s5zQ7jfUWECbfVHX1L69XSIVDuU85rRU86oS8I3srPIy9wI19j9Fp/s1600/Louisville+blog-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPso3WepYW02-qYaT_KA0V0EXQ1BVD5Kw9j74xzlPRKn-LZshdwzxItruapkbzhL8CUSz9-HdSZKirjSQl0au1x98s5zQ7jfUWECbfVHX1L69XSIVDuU85rRU86oS8I3srPIy9wI19j9Fp/s1600/Louisville+blog-14.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Sadly, the only way to see the track when no races are happening is to pay for a tour. Booo for tours!!! But, we <i>HAD TO SEE THE TRACK</i>, so we paid the $24 and joined the tour, which actually was pretty cool! We learned all about the history of the derby, the building, the horses, the trainers, everything. :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUTQylIf5N-rMcCoGPcSuzA20OkjJZ9At3P7_ChPStifJItPI8sG2B1hSYuCyF7qAbvYx18tEjvrwC_sYsEzXEyOnydcq_9oiqqPYsAh247c7h4qZzTa7xRiX0PIFMHkNZqsj5jduhA-6/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUTQylIf5N-rMcCoGPcSuzA20OkjJZ9At3P7_ChPStifJItPI8sG2B1hSYuCyF7qAbvYx18tEjvrwC_sYsEzXEyOnydcq_9oiqqPYsAh247c7h4qZzTa7xRiX0PIFMHkNZqsj5jduhA-6/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-8.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
For instance, this little jockey statue is in the courtyard and is re-painted to match that years winner's uniform!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZyQH0Zh0xde75RKGhpu5BHIf3YvldxiPymFwh2ebq6hU8NC7s1KqXnmFCBIQxR6B-vINXJf7Kie36NApUThOa3qC0atg5yexIYfSMgVREd8SGe5u9pbD3AIXGj4C4by8h_txi1yeJDcm/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZyQH0Zh0xde75RKGhpu5BHIf3YvldxiPymFwh2ebq6hU8NC7s1KqXnmFCBIQxR6B-vINXJf7Kie36NApUThOa3qC0atg5yexIYfSMgVREd8SGe5u9pbD3AIXGj4C4by8h_txi1yeJDcm/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-7.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This is the view the jockey's have when they come out of their little holding barn and walk towards the track. The left side of the building (with the steeple) is the oldest section of the derby stands.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZo9Ks-6b46FUxKXEt902BDXA7FOVj3HOU0CUoRYzPRLfrtuirm1-Ff9xWcnirFcXODvD-EaLIOAWKiG7hl1p6y80thwtAucMsyUWupD8OR50GksSDMSWboFJTTPc78Ty0M2czXC_5ueB/s1600/Louisville+blog-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZo9Ks-6b46FUxKXEt902BDXA7FOVj3HOU0CUoRYzPRLfrtuirm1-Ff9xWcnirFcXODvD-EaLIOAWKiG7hl1p6y80thwtAucMsyUWupD8OR50GksSDMSWboFJTTPc78Ty0M2czXC_5ueB/s1600/Louisville+blog-15.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It was really cool to be out in the front row of the track. People pay hundreds of dollars to get a seat for the Kentucky Derby every year! ... and yes, Aaron is wearing my sunglasses because BOTH of his broke - lol. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB03Y1SouEWFTXeMix_ItdZ3lJYvZ7k_4q5XRg4VfT5CYUhXtab01ws9NTw8PVfah7dbRWE5lURUeBWdcL6X7uVGblRkm7zbsDdeSEGAPV1sXMKDlQ-3l50_3ZRtwX2zhmt3aHnqx4AwK/s1600/Louisville+blog-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB03Y1SouEWFTXeMix_ItdZ3lJYvZ7k_4q5XRg4VfT5CYUhXtab01ws9NTw8PVfah7dbRWE5lURUeBWdcL6X7uVGblRkm7zbsDdeSEGAPV1sXMKDlQ-3l50_3ZRtwX2zhmt3aHnqx4AwK/s1600/Louisville+blog-17.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
... and wala, here it is, in all it's glory! Last year, they had over 150,000 people in attendance for the Kentucky Derby! The guide said it's basically the equivalent of having 4 super bowls in one weekend.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jw3Acvr80A3qaGyVQFhrWrZobcF5rCd6uazSZtuFUmTM8KC8yaTAphFEy5ubSnOzyuQOAJPQJOic9V3ZH5O94w0-iuYaHX23w3ioHm9F4suVo8ZuvPx10gZLb1rwVI7IQlCmPiQgZQnq/s1600/Louisville+blog-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jw3Acvr80A3qaGyVQFhrWrZobcF5rCd6uazSZtuFUmTM8KC8yaTAphFEy5ubSnOzyuQOAJPQJOic9V3ZH5O94w0-iuYaHX23w3ioHm9F4suVo8ZuvPx10gZLb1rwVI7IQlCmPiQgZQnq/s1600/Louisville+blog-16.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
If Aaron were a jockey and had won the race, he would have been riding a horse through this tunnel and not walking... darn A for being too tall to be a jockey! :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3TAxYBNf1Ub9DLWjJPA8cCTGgfmBU1dlGjamJvpaIwahclybyFFcWeZmq-p-427p0AG5xZbZsub1bJuSPMixUcE5HacsC-AO2zvxBipnKSulhbYzVY9DbF3RoYlcU7p17A0yy_dT-OZz/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3TAxYBNf1Ub9DLWjJPA8cCTGgfmBU1dlGjamJvpaIwahclybyFFcWeZmq-p-427p0AG5xZbZsub1bJuSPMixUcE5HacsC-AO2zvxBipnKSulhbYzVY9DbF3RoYlcU7p17A0yy_dT-OZz/s1600/Louisville+blog+vert-11.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here's our proof that we were here! :) Maybe next time we're here we'll actually be here for the Kentucky Derby!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKYxbLL0f36Wg9EULXQk_Kqf6arNCnSpzOU6zbjbzpmSMhTQlK678Iy6MVW549XQUh2Hkq0S0JvDFfVDfMsze3I6I4t8fjbFE5hFZNGSbITYa1kKifd8YGdfYCKCBXuH8TKgk8cOJPenX/s1600/Louisville-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKYxbLL0f36Wg9EULXQk_Kqf6arNCnSpzOU6zbjbzpmSMhTQlK678Iy6MVW549XQUh2Hkq0S0JvDFfVDfMsze3I6I4t8fjbFE5hFZNGSbITYa1kKifd8YGdfYCKCBXuH8TKgk8cOJPenX/s1600/Louisville-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We perused around the museum for a little bit and then jumped back in the car in order to make it to Pittsburg for the Pirates vs Cubs game, which thankfully we made it to right on time! :) Does that mean we won the race? I think so!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVmYLP2l79N0pBnGs4YkBChg2gugiA6ynaMncH7KO7hK-iQG-nBDtUDIy21u1rDqNM7aASGYovlzJtuEpH1VdbgiBp8zQx59qY6vUl1gUkPpkCtJM0H8z26fF_OHq0HyASAzZGoF10782/s1600/Louisville+blog-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVmYLP2l79N0pBnGs4YkBChg2gugiA6ynaMncH7KO7hK-iQG-nBDtUDIy21u1rDqNM7aASGYovlzJtuEpH1VdbgiBp8zQx59qY6vUl1gUkPpkCtJM0H8z26fF_OHq0HyASAzZGoF10782/s1600/Louisville+blog-18.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-83217776499817462682013-05-20T19:42:00.000-07:002013-05-22T19:47:59.984-07:00A quick glimpse at St Louis, Missouri!<div style="text-align: center;">
This road trip has been nothing short of a whirlwind, and I'm starting to feel like this week is gonna be closer to a Tornado (literally) than a whirlwind.... We're planning to stop in St Louis, Pittsburgh, Lancaster (Amish country) and Philadelphia, before landing in Brooklyn NYC on Saturday! Here goes nothing!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We woke up in our cozy hotel room in St Louis and were faced with another threat of a tornado!! EEekkkk! The darn things were following us! We hunkered down for an hour or so, drinking our coffee and munching on the continental breakfast downstairs before the storm passed and the coast was clear...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgja1uQzKA5kDYZxzuU2wm-gfS7QsPGNWdGTPi5Ly239EZXgurvhRworvgE7DdkKMn5SsKJZJzyJayd0_taSo_hj5Ft5Kce-lZxGVtaguVyQ0ASkLf9bjRF-JtFJn4dOJJ-ppha78VtfB3/s1600/St+Louis+Blog+horiz-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgja1uQzKA5kDYZxzuU2wm-gfS7QsPGNWdGTPi5Ly239EZXgurvhRworvgE7DdkKMn5SsKJZJzyJayd0_taSo_hj5Ft5Kce-lZxGVtaguVyQ0ASkLf9bjRF-JtFJn4dOJJ-ppha78VtfB3/s1600/St+Louis+Blog+horiz-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And boy was the coast clear - look at that beautiful 630 ft arch, surrounded by a perfectly clear blue sky!! Can you spot me down below?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2b9hyphenhyphen1zrBUqf2ESrmIKLejJy8VWGgk52zso9N9Da8qwKceSH8zDpHzfhcV2EZlhFVL8_uH7vPGktfIPSWM4Pl_MCEoVCvNBwp8AKRyqXE7Uf4gKRyE-wEeHdetE4wCSMdviMi3guvCj9/s1600/St+Louis+Blog+horiz-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2b9hyphenhyphen1zrBUqf2ESrmIKLejJy8VWGgk52zso9N9Da8qwKceSH8zDpHzfhcV2EZlhFVL8_uH7vPGktfIPSWM4Pl_MCEoVCvNBwp8AKRyqXE7Uf4gKRyE-wEeHdetE4wCSMdviMi3guvCj9/s1600/St+Louis+Blog+horiz-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It was the perfect day for a picnic in the park - sadly we weren't prepared with food, so we just sat and enjoyed the grass and view of the river instead!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGJYaxUoBvWne7Wzvjb1kqTyoYGxMcv0_X5L8lovXVUidvbEZ-yf8jRZ_fQkkZy6MHCKeaTwJCZp1kK7PI3O28cvnxEUTnEyMFlL6pw3047iIi82v7Wy7OSab84KayFna5YmfxPt-xZ7n/s1600/St+Louis+Blog+horiz-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGJYaxUoBvWne7Wzvjb1kqTyoYGxMcv0_X5L8lovXVUidvbEZ-yf8jRZ_fQkkZy6MHCKeaTwJCZp1kK7PI3O28cvnxEUTnEyMFlL6pw3047iIi82v7Wy7OSab84KayFna5YmfxPt-xZ7n/s1600/St+Louis+Blog+horiz-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The arch, from below.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwdYI1coHTBQUrT19rRctKdSAgrpJkLfI99yuRNJWYDiTb0LmtsiAqGxCrbVpU_EqF2wKW6Ka0t5JqLN4z8bWNRi3rPck9kM68bWtou6XlWl8LgMDE__E2FsLK-VJkYyhzslhyBXHv4Xr/s1600/St+Louis+Blog-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwdYI1coHTBQUrT19rRctKdSAgrpJkLfI99yuRNJWYDiTb0LmtsiAqGxCrbVpU_EqF2wKW6Ka0t5JqLN4z8bWNRi3rPck9kM68bWtou6XlWl8LgMDE__E2FsLK-VJkYyhzslhyBXHv4Xr/s1600/St+Louis+Blog-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'd love to say that we tried some famous St. Louis toasted ravioli, local style pizza, pork steaks, gooey buttercake or one of the city's many beers (It is beer capital of the US after all) while we were in town, but we actually just grabbed a blue raspberry Slurpee here instead and made turkey sandwiches in the car! haha Hey, a 3 month road trip can get expensive, so we have to be <strike>cheap</strike> budget savy sometimes!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uNCtaTpkId3SqAdJqoQrGqaIV3G1Jzd9Z_REXHOdA7GKk2W42L_sK4gdesP9Xr_orA94G4-qvFa0Srz10zesbiS5Oi-x8e8_elS0UL7PR-ZVXhatd9cfQueDD7wklbNCwzu8JqTnmqcx/s1600/St+Louis+Blog-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="477" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uNCtaTpkId3SqAdJqoQrGqaIV3G1Jzd9Z_REXHOdA7GKk2W42L_sK4gdesP9Xr_orA94G4-qvFa0Srz10zesbiS5Oi-x8e8_elS0UL7PR-ZVXhatd9cfQueDD7wklbNCwzu8JqTnmqcx/s640/St+Louis+Blog-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We took a walk through the Gateway Arch park and saw an old church off in the distance and walked towards it to check it out... Turns out, it's the Basilica of St Louis, the very first cathedral West of the Mississippi (I love typing that word!)! It was stunning.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwb1Wsh7vJ-LLUjnwRDq8N-rfrRUP7Mr57XzbCu1JLz3gKttszAQnsaGPZZ-jH9mMVlcjikIOre8aMw8Gv7W5ZNYl-e8LznCXlBWA5fNo2QIYQGuZikp3NY20O7PV-2uVZCVBWMebAE47/s1600/St+Louis+Blog+horiz-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwb1Wsh7vJ-LLUjnwRDq8N-rfrRUP7Mr57XzbCu1JLz3gKttszAQnsaGPZZ-jH9mMVlcjikIOre8aMw8Gv7W5ZNYl-e8LznCXlBWA5fNo2QIYQGuZikp3NY20O7PV-2uVZCVBWMebAE47/s1600/St+Louis+Blog+horiz-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... and for $3.00, you could light your very own prayer candle. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7hidmoEt9y1dELEvYMqmOrBDPbE69EwrVoJ3hI5ylxDxCaTMz_oV5gJJutKeuH0p2TEAk6cpeKVyTe3LwTxjZbpxUQ48ZqxsIMPBFcVhJWnuiKIZwAShbm6ZiAwu87Ey6p8bdJ8GTIub/s1600/St+Louis+Blog+horiz-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7hidmoEt9y1dELEvYMqmOrBDPbE69EwrVoJ3hI5ylxDxCaTMz_oV5gJJutKeuH0p2TEAk6cpeKVyTe3LwTxjZbpxUQ48ZqxsIMPBFcVhJWnuiKIZwAShbm6ZiAwu87Ey6p8bdJ8GTIub/s1600/St+Louis+Blog+horiz-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We left the Basilica of St Louis and made our way out of town towards Louisville, until we saw this GEM, the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis, built in 1914, which slightly (no, more like majorly) trumped the last cathedral was saw! I mean look that this place!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JBkIjfWcNvPgkiuVJ21wLFuWu8Re7kUhVJ76Q0h8EMf4Y4UwHWiDYe5dTszBcB23QExMpyJgp1Cg2LJzwjPyJ5Y5QM9Aoc1qQTUxc8MTy6WnN_xVcx4L_uiQJ_MHKv0_bnU_H2IxmRdH/s1600/St+Louis+Blog+horiz-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JBkIjfWcNvPgkiuVJ21wLFuWu8Re7kUhVJ76Q0h8EMf4Y4UwHWiDYe5dTszBcB23QExMpyJgp1Cg2LJzwjPyJ5Y5QM9Aoc1qQTUxc8MTy6WnN_xVcx4L_uiQJ_MHKv0_bnU_H2IxmRdH/s1600/St+Louis+Blog+horiz-9.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We had the chance to go inside for about 5 minutes, before the mass began, to get a glimpse of the incredible work of art! The cathedral walls are adorned with 41.5 million glass tesserae pieces in more than 7,000 colors! The mosaics cover 83,000 sq feet, making it one of the largest mosaics in the world, and definitely the most amazing one I've ever seen! What I would give to photograph a wedding in this cathedral - WOW!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFGEqso7vyEV2Dj2E14Hiaks3VveG1ldY-2BmQHjgR6kQ6MdcWgmheE5EApWRC_7D3xGcVwoPCXwUs0r4mZwtH_thuw4YJLNMzDMa3Wdu6erT0OrmZh8ShBs0O8Vg-F5L5XW614NCk4ym/s1600/St+Louis+Blog-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFGEqso7vyEV2Dj2E14Hiaks3VveG1ldY-2BmQHjgR6kQ6MdcWgmheE5EApWRC_7D3xGcVwoPCXwUs0r4mZwtH_thuw4YJLNMzDMa3Wdu6erT0OrmZh8ShBs0O8Vg-F5L5XW614NCk4ym/s1600/St+Louis+Blog-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We hated to say goodbye to St. Louis, just like we've hated to say goodbye to every other city we've visited, but were on a mission, and excited to get over to Louisville, Kentucky! </div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-9595058489882178692013-05-19T20:42:00.001-07:002013-05-19T20:46:10.880-07:00Kansas City!<div style="text-align: center;">
We were up with the sun and had said goodbye to our cool downtown home in Denver before 6:30am because we had a
VERY LONG DRIVE through Kansas to Kansas City, Missouri to drive! In case you were wondering what Kansas looks
like out the car window, here you go! <i>Pretty exciting, huh?!</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HF2dsPUkJ8ATXss-wXdhmEhZwLPV-Bw4Ts-8bKZIxF7moyXDEnQ7_rpELMtvlOnzCEGCFr4ijrGn7By2La4e1sb89uCBz1mh6w04nZILex4I8x0LBH_eX61wrPmTckBx9faODDHlq4Vx/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HF2dsPUkJ8ATXss-wXdhmEhZwLPV-Bw4Ts-8bKZIxF7moyXDEnQ7_rpELMtvlOnzCEGCFr4ijrGn7By2La4e1sb89uCBz1mh6w04nZILex4I8x0LBH_eX61wrPmTckBx9faODDHlq4Vx/s1600/5.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
My friend Andrea used to live in Salinas, a small town right in the middle of Kansas, so she recommended a cute little restaurant in the downtown area that we could check out for lunch. When we got there, it happened to be the “Statue Tour” day and the local dance studio was performing in the middle of the street to start off the tour. I LOVE SMALL TOWN events… they’re just so small! lol</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdRJLPEN1oPN3wrn8rJFkbxM7mdD3Js1ILIUocpyGH7EiXUi4zzJO3h-IaqaY6ecHRcolMZgTRcmWBd5-2bBFbU8oX6edleUEI1aLTrd3kEXTdiE8jansyg_w7A8VxQcjDwCwkLfBJNcI/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdRJLPEN1oPN3wrn8rJFkbxM7mdD3Js1ILIUocpyGH7EiXUi4zzJO3h-IaqaY6ecHRcolMZgTRcmWBd5-2bBFbU8oX6edleUEI1aLTrd3kEXTdiE8jansyg_w7A8VxQcjDwCwkLfBJNcI/s1600/6.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixblBvvxOeslAyqzwF5ljFbLg6D39OsUMBQbtx8SWkNcQ8r60c4FC-MU14n4Ot8N-nAeZqYcrgyCAdClTTkuMemrl-qraTXS-r5uiZ2oviSO4cOd2RBuzeCFKRUaYizfuUuD2ObXPwRrG2/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixblBvvxOeslAyqzwF5ljFbLg6D39OsUMBQbtx8SWkNcQ8r60c4FC-MU14n4Ot8N-nAeZqYcrgyCAdClTTkuMemrl-qraTXS-r5uiZ2oviSO4cOd2RBuzeCFKRUaYizfuUuD2ObXPwRrG2/s1600/7.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
There really wasn’t much to see in Kansas, although I did
think this field of dandelions outside the rest stop was pretty cool. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzf6xxQ3RlMSAlLG-IytKftYyf44xYu09_jYPS9D71tLEkThgQIz8naI9HiUKutqBnzdI139_LFBbVzG30b7Op0AXA2QnLZ5A8sk2Jy_RkjrHNnsRSPC4g8sZZBLwxitCPssxaBaipymN/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzf6xxQ3RlMSAlLG-IytKftYyf44xYu09_jYPS9D71tLEkThgQIz8naI9HiUKutqBnzdI139_LFBbVzG30b7Op0AXA2QnLZ5A8sk2Jy_RkjrHNnsRSPC4g8sZZBLwxitCPssxaBaipymN/s1600/8.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We made it to Kansas City, MO around 6:00pm and were floored
with how awesome it was! We were just planning to “stop through” this city and found ourselves wanting to stay!
It’s charming, the neighborhoods are historic and well maintained, the
restaurants are fantastic, the architecture is cool, the people are young and
hip , there are museums galore, and there’s grass and big huge trees all over the city! We checked into our 3<sup>rd</sup> AirBnB home
in a neighborhood called “The Plaza” and were met by the sweet owner, a single,
very active and spunky woman named Carol, in her 70s!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkyVVKHyblybMCHAONfHZGtA9wL3gCYfvr3-8rawesap-P64K-ppxlmsVcnXseUybcfTDSdkiVDOeZMgXSd6yLl02il0ZDKNmz00ADxlGc28XuNgu_0BE8Dfid6ODhGXJGjmG3D1Jiy7c/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkyVVKHyblybMCHAONfHZGtA9wL3gCYfvr3-8rawesap-P64K-ppxlmsVcnXseUybcfTDSdkiVDOeZMgXSd6yLl02il0ZDKNmz00ADxlGc28XuNgu_0BE8Dfid6ODhGXJGjmG3D1Jiy7c/s1600/9.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We lounged around in her den, getting to hear her incredible
life story of love, loss, family, moving from upstate NY to here in the 70’s and
making a life for herself in a town she HATED but now never wants to
leave! Getting to know people is what
using <a href="http://www.airbnb.com/">www.AirBnB.com</a> is all about, and I love it! She also recommended a couple restaurants
that all of the locals love, so off we went to Jack Stack BBQ in The Plaza area
of town. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPLUa-9_7Pp9qG7-IlhwojCLjx0p9jLT8NDrnRb5004rmiPZrMmgiD934K0TTX7QxtP3cDLkURTqIME-F3jh_R9aunwIjdQbsAOZbeCYZDWkSVpNFJHU1lyMPzjYnM80S5bHCxcIUHt8A/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPLUa-9_7Pp9qG7-IlhwojCLjx0p9jLT8NDrnRb5004rmiPZrMmgiD934K0TTX7QxtP3cDLkURTqIME-F3jh_R9aunwIjdQbsAOZbeCYZDWkSVpNFJHU1lyMPzjYnM80S5bHCxcIUHt8A/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-7.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I’ll bet you didn’t know that Kansas City is known as the
City of Fountains and boasts hundreds of beautiful fountains! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NycIequKeB482VYdeTMUmHr3pkMdpodo-ZnKsKw-vk81GyTI4mlZcpGlB_ZKwcP2AhC1LfIVxKAl9a8a73wmjP4iZdw0OVyRDs7CbuLHehfo6bwXAHpUgD8GiRJTPvl1a63w6Va81KNZ/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NycIequKeB482VYdeTMUmHr3pkMdpodo-ZnKsKw-vk81GyTI4mlZcpGlB_ZKwcP2AhC1LfIVxKAl9a8a73wmjP4iZdw0OVyRDs7CbuLHehfo6bwXAHpUgD8GiRJTPvl1a63w6Va81KNZ/s1600/11.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWkZtbtIXZhx7n_Fmwi6HMd_apyCA0iNFW5YapIG8itvNRsNtBnFOEHa31Mea91nV11iUOTj6LYXIvavq9s2y03XpColtuTOpKmR9diioNaA1IFBjOVcPJLLkyya3-puy8XWREEw_Vnxr/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWkZtbtIXZhx7n_Fmwi6HMd_apyCA0iNFW5YapIG8itvNRsNtBnFOEHa31Mea91nV11iUOTj6LYXIvavq9s2y03XpColtuTOpKmR9diioNaA1IFBjOVcPJLLkyya3-puy8XWREEw_Vnxr/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
After dinner, we drove around the area and headed back home
just in time to find shelter from the lightning and thunder storm that rolled through the
city! (By the way, we literally escaped a tornado by 2 hours earlier
today. It touched down right near the
FWY we drove down.) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The next morning (Sunday), we woke up, said goodbye to Carol
and her beautiful home and checked out the WW1 museum (The only one in the
country!).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSV4RInlTD748PpOEp1NrGp-PrGQNiwHYYj7cuSd7N4PX3GeBNjCugABDs5ncDFOXPOdnPbiL0ttvwHC28Su9SBinOwh5bhuvjh2oZPrwvnCIhpCovzFzCiGmlOR8et2GErtKf-AhLA_-/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSV4RInlTD748PpOEp1NrGp-PrGQNiwHYYj7cuSd7N4PX3GeBNjCugABDs5ncDFOXPOdnPbiL0ttvwHC28Su9SBinOwh5bhuvjh2oZPrwvnCIhpCovzFzCiGmlOR8et2GErtKf-AhLA_-/s1600/13.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Can you guess who’s idea this was? Lol<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzw5Yp8ZLYlEi5PGhlGTe1IDNpKB6NYYxk7HnFWmxnQ29UUapm2grQJk4QoC2YeNcaaSIgaSsBVjHKfNRVQyQ2X_tYIAuec6bEzLw4mG7B-LyEpr9Zvi6Xb_6X3BIQM3Zjz23wvPKzS6p7/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzw5Yp8ZLYlEi5PGhlGTe1IDNpKB6NYYxk7HnFWmxnQ29UUapm2grQJk4QoC2YeNcaaSIgaSsBVjHKfNRVQyQ2X_tYIAuec6bEzLw4mG7B-LyEpr9Zvi6Xb_6X3BIQM3Zjz23wvPKzS6p7/s1600/14.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
While I’m not a war fanatic, I did like looking through the
old posters…</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroLPYU9kbSAiA28MPVFX5yhfJrL7VtbwZ3KeeH5qE7YeeWMA88fz9GcvYdqokd_GFHlAxJgaSpSdej5AUzQcqyd1gah0zmWKlk-H8__xVuDmdiLw5p_H9Bxwm5qoMizt6QjLyMe_HZehQ/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroLPYU9kbSAiA28MPVFX5yhfJrL7VtbwZ3KeeH5qE7YeeWMA88fz9GcvYdqokd_GFHlAxJgaSpSdej5AUzQcqyd1gah0zmWKlk-H8__xVuDmdiLw5p_H9Bxwm5qoMizt6QjLyMe_HZehQ/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
And the old cars were really cool…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYnHaFho6TU0UV7POTt-WsqsZzKKIfRb-C9d5SWujIdKFSnxUHTHKwoLf6ckx1SdAsmuC8TdyXaHU8GQqqTyl44CKuxE1u2CzZj74Z5S3WVg2ASWSoJ0FehVRE_lr8bRGHcMr1-n_dOlJ/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYnHaFho6TU0UV7POTt-WsqsZzKKIfRb-C9d5SWujIdKFSnxUHTHKwoLf6ckx1SdAsmuC8TdyXaHU8GQqqTyl44CKuxE1u2CzZj74Z5S3WVg2ASWSoJ0FehVRE_lr8bRGHcMr1-n_dOlJ/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
After touring the museum, we headed outside and up the steps
to the WW1 memorial tower!<o:p></o:p></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqHqAs2gQY6buk_p553CNyL0tZYaXO3eDZDcdiD6psA3i0srITZZHJWwZaeztAPzRKnpRZxcuVToTC9FCY1zqMVdgpni7KoeNrTRmtd7c5vHQuzFZ5D4RaDjrdfd_-FNZmkrXFUJwl6Wv/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqHqAs2gQY6buk_p553CNyL0tZYaXO3eDZDcdiD6psA3i0srITZZHJWwZaeztAPzRKnpRZxcuVToTC9FCY1zqMVdgpni7KoeNrTRmtd7c5vHQuzFZ5D4RaDjrdfd_-FNZmkrXFUJwl6Wv/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-3.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The tornadoes may be 100 miles away, but the wind was fierce
today!! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTPgNr-DuN_9t76hmZJ14MaiEDWp-GNXD9QOHVFIHG-rezTaFPGf9vIx_34UihO3zyGl1pk2IyDM58o144liFq0SdhJ3aYpcd87v31nBcDd50cRV8ibtDJak2F3pi6mcr3Aht8BKZUozg/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTPgNr-DuN_9t76hmZJ14MaiEDWp-GNXD9QOHVFIHG-rezTaFPGf9vIx_34UihO3zyGl1pk2IyDM58o144liFq0SdhJ3aYpcd87v31nBcDd50cRV8ibtDJak2F3pi6mcr3Aht8BKZUozg/s1600/18.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
But the view atop the tower was COMPLETELY worth my hair violetntly whipping me in the face… and girls you know how painful that can be sometimes! Lol<o:p></o:p></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNyDc76vH-SRvsBG6nCNt72Sc3TqFPpwur56rxgL9fROpkI49OXQ9UvZL4To2CvPDC30dOZt54Wvbj0YzHjttMW_roCOfQ_ekjaMBKu1z_ET7u28UJJk5BtOPYW6ff9tNZKei4LhqQXP9/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNyDc76vH-SRvsBG6nCNt72Sc3TqFPpwur56rxgL9fROpkI49OXQ9UvZL4To2CvPDC30dOZt54Wvbj0YzHjttMW_roCOfQ_ekjaMBKu1z_ET7u28UJJk5BtOPYW6ff9tNZKei4LhqQXP9/s1600/19.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
And this one’s just to prove we were up there! <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0TcfiaEPuoDLJF9tlwTmoYioNJh0wE7SGNQyuMN7Q4I2Zimwzv6lj69j6qsM2phiKBZkC6ugsbq_LCXeJcMOlAzh_bjqWMEHDKdVKsSjx0NbOYgrE-sZc2lUp9ru_O7I2IzauDJxGuah/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0TcfiaEPuoDLJF9tlwTmoYioNJh0wE7SGNQyuMN7Q4I2Zimwzv6lj69j6qsM2phiKBZkC6ugsbq_LCXeJcMOlAzh_bjqWMEHDKdVKsSjx0NbOYgrE-sZc2lUp9ru_O7I2IzauDJxGuah/s1600/20.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
After the WW1 museum, Aaron dropped me off to explore The
Plaza Area while he checked out the famous art museum in town. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvVdQ4TRY4pEuIzRcMYsov5GIzRihAqts7PwO2U_XyA7LcO9YhL7yixrTm5FIx7DOb3xUQTumIveVOv3QFVs8Q4cgDNZAOnDWeGgv9He_mDJL8ouXmdQ_GlbAPYs2dEiPVucPC7j9bMWI/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvVdQ4TRY4pEuIzRcMYsov5GIzRihAqts7PwO2U_XyA7LcO9YhL7yixrTm5FIx7DOb3xUQTumIveVOv3QFVs8Q4cgDNZAOnDWeGgv9He_mDJL8ouXmdQ_GlbAPYs2dEiPVucPC7j9bMWI/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0f-GdnApGVaTBq1T1jB20HGKSUu9RLKgQ7xFWournbaJQpMZBZbQ3lRFq4Qwjmk5ZQbIo1jZSlUXRAWg87GKKyAR9MbiINPPT0zhuWaonKTUP666uIvqXRFNKP3lOGnLNa9iMPhHLIS0/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0f-GdnApGVaTBq1T1jB20HGKSUu9RLKgQ7xFWournbaJQpMZBZbQ3lRFq4Qwjmk5ZQbIo1jZSlUXRAWg87GKKyAR9MbiINPPT0zhuWaonKTUP666uIvqXRFNKP3lOGnLNa9iMPhHLIS0/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-8.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexZxJGn297BtPuNiiWlEhuoLvSwtPrn0CG63pIncss2Fr4vURZ8DKIo-oJXW-Y1EshUNJVGb-Ao71WZqR8eb6PbljlroPREZQrvJSc6Xu0ze0y_ke1xUuMQLgBJHJEZN2PwUhkuonWw71/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexZxJGn297BtPuNiiWlEhuoLvSwtPrn0CG63pIncss2Fr4vURZ8DKIo-oJXW-Y1EshUNJVGb-Ao71WZqR8eb6PbljlroPREZQrvJSc6Xu0ze0y_ke1xUuMQLgBJHJEZN2PwUhkuonWw71/s1600/24.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I may have opted for ice cream for lunch today. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhfvG-ucPeadjK74_7GXJPNEfStOaAIF3qptIrbs75IM30o_hrXDzInT3hbMaPbYdxWCiZTbo7w0sqB_6Q67-bDNRXp6mEtp-Kp2HHrNrkpEMpzT0i501PABwIaUdD2Q7CogzJudjB1eI/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhfvG-ucPeadjK74_7GXJPNEfStOaAIF3qptIrbs75IM30o_hrXDzInT3hbMaPbYdxWCiZTbo7w0sqB_6Q67-bDNRXp6mEtp-Kp2HHrNrkpEMpzT0i501PABwIaUdD2Q7CogzJudjB1eI/s1600/Denver+Kansas+diptich-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We had to leave Kansas City in the afternoon because the tornadoes were headed in that direction and we weren’t all that interested in getting
swept away if they did in fact make it downtown! But before we jumped on the FWY, we cruised
around some of the historic neighborhoods near Carol’s house! I’ve always loved looking at homes and I’m
especially in love with the homes here – they’re so southern looking, with all
the brick, stone, shutters, fireplaces, front porches, mature trees...! Ahhhhh! So, here’s my exclusive Kansas City house tour! <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> ENJOY </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoD-3a30HmsyH5vLvR2scCa_PM5gie4fciAH9ZvEwkv7js0pEpMpOEROsu5YSwiWnO23_EA1GYJryB1HF4wBEDkXipiAUQKpN7M6fVcudCCCB6qy8d2KK-nH5SO92eTMe9toEden43GD_/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoD-3a30HmsyH5vLvR2scCa_PM5gie4fciAH9ZvEwkv7js0pEpMpOEROsu5YSwiWnO23_EA1GYJryB1HF4wBEDkXipiAUQKpN7M6fVcudCCCB6qy8d2KK-nH5SO92eTMe9toEden43GD_/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-18.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFLKOCFoJFoOYtaipygScktST8wsX2I7hvHo5EHJd8-xPyIIAG07gJ0_lFUq0EPLqfTrXzE-qMPaEfwkyoJ9PBeBSHuBFOdIwPiK-1xB1avtsgIMr5OocMmz1nw4bScADloDQRCIPLU8S/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFLKOCFoJFoOYtaipygScktST8wsX2I7hvHo5EHJd8-xPyIIAG07gJ0_lFUq0EPLqfTrXzE-qMPaEfwkyoJ9PBeBSHuBFOdIwPiK-1xB1avtsgIMr5OocMmz1nw4bScADloDQRCIPLU8S/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-19.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqF5kB3jWavUcshNa_xcKGKkHU6L6lJxXiEqPBMrUbQ_VBUS5KgxYGnuuvDTpdiVcxtZdy0ImMHyIbTN7TpBw5Os7UXn7p6z29xsnFY1yZ8IAftuiYBpQ1QUgV50cLW3t-HX4K3-6tvCRt/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqF5kB3jWavUcshNa_xcKGKkHU6L6lJxXiEqPBMrUbQ_VBUS5KgxYGnuuvDTpdiVcxtZdy0ImMHyIbTN7TpBw5Os7UXn7p6z29xsnFY1yZ8IAftuiYBpQ1QUgV50cLW3t-HX4K3-6tvCRt/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-20.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZ5T033jVjKrknD35XkHfGbN5RtQGOd6L_mso4F3cNEVu4T6KQsRfch2FFi-RO9b4ePaOvGpMov2AMMcsi6CvWeSmYumqVXTlFbIUd_dSGTmxePp_QBRdeoH-ptprITyAQBZOE_th-uxQ/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZ5T033jVjKrknD35XkHfGbN5RtQGOd6L_mso4F3cNEVu4T6KQsRfch2FFi-RO9b4ePaOvGpMov2AMMcsi6CvWeSmYumqVXTlFbIUd_dSGTmxePp_QBRdeoH-ptprITyAQBZOE_th-uxQ/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-22.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccq_AGT5hqJL4uzOJN_bBSOm9HTAuPlQDCyjivzEwzACYo0Sa6I0cwtI5lcTc5EGcq_Mbu08o8I-Iu65qVGhFBIIbXg7W2Wpy-3Oh6Dn4LoNp3raA_g-6R764-Sd5naHEwkaBINEscX-V/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccq_AGT5hqJL4uzOJN_bBSOm9HTAuPlQDCyjivzEwzACYo0Sa6I0cwtI5lcTc5EGcq_Mbu08o8I-Iu65qVGhFBIIbXg7W2Wpy-3Oh6Dn4LoNp3raA_g-6R764-Sd5naHEwkaBINEscX-V/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-23.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvzWLhTzbM9RgO8XYJMRz9Iol2eY_t1uypfCexuDiV1qO8w1uiMy4KoVu9KN1UEQnbzJlryQiE-pPX2tHHT4LM47foeqQa8Xn_EZMLvMAmwPbsu4e184Y46omKBomm5zQpsfH_BwFFrLC/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvzWLhTzbM9RgO8XYJMRz9Iol2eY_t1uypfCexuDiV1qO8w1uiMy4KoVu9KN1UEQnbzJlryQiE-pPX2tHHT4LM47foeqQa8Xn_EZMLvMAmwPbsu4e184Y46omKBomm5zQpsfH_BwFFrLC/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-25.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqI1vpNf8tMFhwxNbbrFYLtzhEXYB8OR_7Z2wayN83DDGGAVVJxh6D007IqFGImI2lJw2DW3mXu_slH6HGKsLhRPU6OSS2m7W5DBdIzweT31rbCGdZsfAWSukCX9KHgIeA5PTCicGDM_54/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqI1vpNf8tMFhwxNbbrFYLtzhEXYB8OR_7Z2wayN83DDGGAVVJxh6D007IqFGImI2lJw2DW3mXu_slH6HGKsLhRPU6OSS2m7W5DBdIzweT31rbCGdZsfAWSukCX9KHgIeA5PTCicGDM_54/s1600/Denver+Kansas+blog-26.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We stopped into Trader Joe's for some <i>sandwich supplies</i> before leaving town, and have now made it to St Louis, with the tornadoes 200 miles behind us, whew! We're checked into a nice lil Best Western that we found a coupon for in a rest stop magazine somewhere in Kansas! SCORE! Tomorrow we'll check out the St Louis Arch and then head over to Louisville, Kentucky... yeehaw! </div>
</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-79645851338792778392013-05-18T23:00:00.000-07:002013-05-19T20:10:41.134-07:00Denver, Colorado!<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We left Vail yesterday and drove 2 hours East to Denver, Colorado, reaching over 11,000 feet and lots of snow along the way!
I love that when I snapped this photo, the elevation was EXACTLY 11,111 feet. <i>Make a wish!</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYq7B0cGRbHJkyiTTaKnBOygsw9B-7QCx-GJ0RlUPDXvsBwaD-HOJPSwlNUAkv1QZwQofQu2WoeHl0Bqrkoa0DVTjNMzqghdYGPNnXtxMGe0YFeGO6D_4eg8A-vK4Y61Juei8vEzuU4a8/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYq7B0cGRbHJkyiTTaKnBOygsw9B-7QCx-GJ0RlUPDXvsBwaD-HOJPSwlNUAkv1QZwQofQu2WoeHl0Bqrkoa0DVTjNMzqghdYGPNnXtxMGe0YFeGO6D_4eg8A-vK4Y61Juei8vEzuU4a8/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
We made it to Denver around 2:30pm and checked into our
AirBnB house, just a mile from downtown.
I am loving <a href="http://www.airbnb.com/">www.airbnb.com</a> and the
experiences we’re having. This one was
only $48 and while we would have loved to have gotten to know the lady who lived here, she was sadly out at her twins birthday party most of the night and asleep by the time we got home later.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUIaaxrochM3fsaMIHfgmfBzkqxFUJv7IlNIO5igqNpaKUPtcLRT6CeIaK2Cac0w94v4oNLNU9cY7PR0VqIYS3_LYUDX7hFa-5V6TqJeKpLjV1bzZrLdLgeCzWsE2eFhU2XV7HF25C8nH/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUIaaxrochM3fsaMIHfgmfBzkqxFUJv7IlNIO5igqNpaKUPtcLRT6CeIaK2Cac0w94v4oNLNU9cY7PR0VqIYS3_LYUDX7hFa-5V6TqJeKpLjV1bzZrLdLgeCzWsE2eFhU2XV7HF25C8nH/s1600/2.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
At 3:30, we drove a couple blocks to meet up with Aaron’s
old college friend, Jeremy, who now lives in Denver. I love getting to meet A’s old friends... but
I love meeting my old friends even more!
So, I left Jeremy’s place after a short hour and drove over to meet my good friend Jill, an
old Arizona high school co-worker, at a cool neighborhood bar downtown! It was sooooo good to catch up with her over the
bar’s famous tatter tots and salad! (I’m so bummed I don’t have a picture of either
of these! Ugh...)<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
After dinner, Jill drove me over to the Coor’s Field, in
downtown Denver, so I could meet up with Aaron for a Denver Rockies vs San
Fransisco Giants game! It was one of the
best games I’ve seen in years – 2 home runs, 1 grand slam, and a VERY close
final score of 10-9 with the Rockies winning! We may have sat in the nosebleed section but that didn't stop us from having a great time!</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9oCbJ786m2ojhzX1b7hUdUkT0YcADZjGGHaARYBwOxxL88mZkujqlY4P6DSvHyxYbPKhy9R6jNK5ixDjhAHQ-yYCDFPafx7v-6aWcCaWjqHHZ6kpe1nAGAV-4n8vdqudZ83AHZ8bykBQ/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9oCbJ786m2ojhzX1b7hUdUkT0YcADZjGGHaARYBwOxxL88mZkujqlY4P6DSvHyxYbPKhy9R6jNK5ixDjhAHQ-yYCDFPafx7v-6aWcCaWjqHHZ6kpe1nAGAV-4n8vdqudZ83AHZ8bykBQ/s1600/3.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We tried to walk the mile back home, but we got into a shaddy area and had to jump in a cab for the final 5 blocks! When we got home, we played with the cool black cat that lived there, watched a little TV and went to bed, knowing that we'd be up early for our big drive through Kansas in the morning... </div>
</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-19205166468196460852013-05-17T12:30:00.000-07:002013-05-17T14:35:05.389-07:00Vail, Colorado!<div style="text-align: center;">
So, the drive from Jackson Hole, WY to Vail, CO was our longest yet, by about 4 hours, with a total drive time of just over 9 whopping hours! Don't think we didn't take advantage of the time together with podcast and road kill counting! Yep, you heard that right! We actually started counting the dead deer on the side of the road for the first 30 miles after we crossed the border into Colorado....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeQq4KbOhdAgcjUgKm-WK84Q2CRUNly9Ojn8zLv4PPwXWEsyjWug6Co_PmWBhxTSHuuQZjgTzGXemVYBBeckrPrtZihQP9jgaDosUNvtBZke_BHq5FhY_Ptm9PggePq6vwNK8WMB3uxAz/s1600/vail+horiz-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeQq4KbOhdAgcjUgKm-WK84Q2CRUNly9Ojn8zLv4PPwXWEsyjWug6Co_PmWBhxTSHuuQZjgTzGXemVYBBeckrPrtZihQP9jgaDosUNvtBZke_BHq5FhY_Ptm9PggePq6vwNK8WMB3uxAz/s1600/vail+horiz-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
...and I kid you not, we counted 1 live deer and 142 DEAD DEER! I've never seen anything like it! They were EVERYWHERE! But don't let that fool you into thinking Colorado is disgusting, because it is FAAAAR from that! We're both in love with this state and being in Vail, with my aunt, uncle and cousins was the best added perk to this leg of the trip! How beautiful is their house? Don't mind my flower sniffing husband... He think it's funny to be doing something stupid when I snap a photo! :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLh1-yTTdJQEj_oU9XyIftrz5Id1B1NncnxznzYmh8Yii3jEZ4sa_w2M9H6Ky_1ep6OMm9WviyrvVi57nTINa6-XWs8U-qLB0bmPJmi3qFLp2DyJHmkPLitSqAu59K6zL_To0YMDtpWps/s1600/vail-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLh1-yTTdJQEj_oU9XyIftrz5Id1B1NncnxznzYmh8Yii3jEZ4sa_w2M9H6Ky_1ep6OMm9WviyrvVi57nTINa6-XWs8U-qLB0bmPJmi3qFLp2DyJHmkPLitSqAu59K6zL_To0YMDtpWps/s1600/vail-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Our first day in Vail was spent kind of piddling around (is that a phrase?) and checking out the area. We went up to Beaver Creek, a fancy schmancy rich people spot which is hoppin' in the winter... (not so much in mid May) and did a little window shopping and exploring! <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=beaver+creek+winter&rlz=1C1ASUT_enUS493US493&aq=f&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=o8mVUe_oGaSmiQKFlYCgAQ&biw=1241&bih=580&sei=psmVUa-tBaLliAKiloHADw#um=1&rlz=1C1ASUT_enUS493US493&hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=beaver+creek%2C+CO&oq=beaver+creek%2C+CO&gs_l=img.3..0l9j0i24.8007.9797.0.10049.11.11.0.0.0.0.129.1115.6j5.11.0...0.0...1c.1.14.img.T-yc5_5_gO4&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.46751780,d.cGE&fp=b1bd53832ea3d08c&biw=1241&bih=580" target="_blank">It's really a beautiful spot!</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvctcCMxXJPImYMFHqMcy_yk_J5_f5miA8chIoP_WJnnt1bPI1IZHO9K12R8uEki7PmkMJ7GSAz-CP_tWnY_XRs9iFN_l6JmdyMWzpa2YPACTqXFwYW0DyHjnml7vhM482vD_N2Wdscz9R/s1600/vail+horiz-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvctcCMxXJPImYMFHqMcy_yk_J5_f5miA8chIoP_WJnnt1bPI1IZHO9K12R8uEki7PmkMJ7GSAz-CP_tWnY_XRs9iFN_l6JmdyMWzpa2YPACTqXFwYW0DyHjnml7vhM482vD_N2Wdscz9R/s1600/vail+horiz-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Then we took a drive over to Vail Village, a darling 50 year old area of Vail, to check out the old wooden covered bridge... </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ff4__5xCe3ewp6n4a0z8nb7w1wqzwST-Krv8-p0knynipxixzUy4mDwB6gawtc2HHDKWqOigOAiFZA5WXjrBYEEqPYBSyAXBiA53vru0OFHyzbR4GYtzRYOVjfOUTOh-AN2Xc4GbCUd5/s1600/vail+horiz-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ff4__5xCe3ewp6n4a0z8nb7w1wqzwST-Krv8-p0knynipxixzUy4mDwB6gawtc2HHDKWqOigOAiFZA5WXjrBYEEqPYBSyAXBiA53vru0OFHyzbR4GYtzRYOVjfOUTOh-AN2Xc4GbCUd5/s1600/vail+horiz-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... fun, one of a kind, cafes and restaurants...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nmxMROm5HbxDLZW9zM4QHwC-TVbsr3JVMrWMmJnXNPyTTZ5c9rwu933Oz8P1RkAnkiBRHp7Z1hIiWMgypoNxdaIrufM_GKjshS1X0d124hyphenhyphenxyt7EDF6DxZJ7RVi-rgeMtYoLxLxnA0yH/s1600/vail+vert-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nmxMROm5HbxDLZW9zM4QHwC-TVbsr3JVMrWMmJnXNPyTTZ5c9rwu933Oz8P1RkAnkiBRHp7Z1hIiWMgypoNxdaIrufM_GKjshS1X0d124hyphenhyphenxyt7EDF6DxZJ7RVi-rgeMtYoLxLxnA0yH/s1600/vail+vert-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... the outdoor ice skating rink (sadly it was closed today)... </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZXdWPnXfG9RC2xDNQU0hKGMjCaVF0zQNxln8O_9GBCnTYzhyphenhyphenCj5EgRZDXeBJD3CXS_5jzQ7KCLNx1uALaWQHWTj0-q23t-JxL8oKhY83T-F1bVPOMPzGOvHcI1EWbz8-YO6sWAjHEyQ0/s1600/vail+horiz-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZXdWPnXfG9RC2xDNQU0hKGMjCaVF0zQNxln8O_9GBCnTYzhyphenhyphenCj5EgRZDXeBJD3CXS_5jzQ7KCLNx1uALaWQHWTj0-q23t-JxL8oKhY83T-F1bVPOMPzGOvHcI1EWbz8-YO6sWAjHEyQ0/s1600/vail+horiz-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
... the pretty Spring flowers...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zt9SzckYodW3XV8OVIVE50YdgiZ_U1JGZTzlUU2VI-ujjVtTwlB7MBx9L56pN6txEDv-JEE4EsnAZhPu6wOMFWJMJwHRNHrQDqHCuV1hPfwF6_vakL8LndRStb09rcAPfLF22_TsQv9B/s1600/vail+horiz-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zt9SzckYodW3XV8OVIVE50YdgiZ_U1JGZTzlUU2VI-ujjVtTwlB7MBx9L56pN6txEDv-JEE4EsnAZhPu6wOMFWJMJwHRNHrQDqHCuV1hPfwF6_vakL8LndRStb09rcAPfLF22_TsQv9B/s1600/vail+horiz-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoxZZeamlg_Ea0j5IoVDVo3Lsqi9kO5p-ko3cJzkl14MbSu3i5vqySus-6pmFuVDtIsVcKkzq2U7_uDuOfbxACzQXUOg8GRJBGft8T6Yh9uzF-MdFoGPqbEL6W4Zxbua8WXTZfcNpg_IJ/s1600/vail-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoxZZeamlg_Ea0j5IoVDVo3Lsqi9kO5p-ko3cJzkl14MbSu3i5vqySus-6pmFuVDtIsVcKkzq2U7_uDuOfbxACzQXUOg8GRJBGft8T6Yh9uzF-MdFoGPqbEL6W4Zxbua8WXTZfcNpg_IJ/s1600/vail-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
... cute Swiss looking shops and restaurants...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UzRMb-r8jy869ImORQLETWVTdQfujIH86ZAQRNShrHHf5uk11Sh2FceePDfInDM_z6R_o2Vh2nyHCeY_KIkvmTz4t1FGN7YY8ikeSlo3GNwT-HTd8on5gHj7oqu_vtAcK0l21BR__qEX/s1600/vail+horiz-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UzRMb-r8jy869ImORQLETWVTdQfujIH86ZAQRNShrHHf5uk11Sh2FceePDfInDM_z6R_o2Vh2nyHCeY_KIkvmTz4t1FGN7YY8ikeSlo3GNwT-HTd8on5gHj7oqu_vtAcK0l21BR__qEX/s1600/vail+horiz-7.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... charming old churches... </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-7ZgSpwpKu1u2OsysnemFJ8gq2GwySvf5hdWvkYC_cD_MOjZUADSApkN9m7tGjSrpvbQHfWHqj4pjr0B-X_uiIYkE4Fc7-1NgV6-FXTO7NzyliBvmJxCiiwwhUdkQxvfgB3LG36EQSC_/s1600/vail+vert-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-7ZgSpwpKu1u2OsysnemFJ8gq2GwySvf5hdWvkYC_cD_MOjZUADSApkN9m7tGjSrpvbQHfWHqj4pjr0B-X_uiIYkE4Fc7-1NgV6-FXTO7NzyliBvmJxCiiwwhUdkQxvfgB3LG36EQSC_/s1600/vail+vert-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
...a bunch of cool statues...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZx256k50yGicGKNpBBDbUjKEcRJ7TVE3MAqD50_GABerlJYuCiH0sCU8hVERB0bLh8WSf2_U-Fw5Fxqh7oT-5UTa9npN6hytiALdRfItC1detkKot52dyIYCCQV3Nnv4G-OLDDy7IMme_/s1600/vail+horiz-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZx256k50yGicGKNpBBDbUjKEcRJ7TVE3MAqD50_GABerlJYuCiH0sCU8hVERB0bLh8WSf2_U-Fw5Fxqh7oT-5UTa9npN6hytiALdRfItC1detkKot52dyIYCCQV3Nnv4G-OLDDy7IMme_/s1600/vail+horiz-8.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
...fancy Swiss looking hotels on the river...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SjClNoM5bGHbzqpSmOfj7dKL_PqYQoUaGrs_zGffhZVsZL54QNuq4g6Rd37I12tP_M5xZA6L65DRbe_2pYxrWePbn0uX6XG4KfiVuKK59I26qlyUt0Jwnyls-2ILoF6mtZhiuls5dqM1/s1600/vail+horiz-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SjClNoM5bGHbzqpSmOfj7dKL_PqYQoUaGrs_zGffhZVsZL54QNuq4g6Rd37I12tP_M5xZA6L65DRbe_2pYxrWePbn0uX6XG4KfiVuKK59I26qlyUt0Jwnyls-2ILoF6mtZhiuls5dqM1/s1600/vail+horiz-9.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKGo3sMADNXvr_gZWm5jJCwNdwimb8iu0KhsQXZx8kxqLbtcFiGOe-kJz3u32JD1HSMrzRgmcejXNWvAsVu7_UGgcoCtwlBNUXRnqb-NtHzaTCwBEGel_D3msYyYA20e-1R_-tijQlizg/s1600/vail+vert-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKGo3sMADNXvr_gZWm5jJCwNdwimb8iu0KhsQXZx8kxqLbtcFiGOe-kJz3u32JD1HSMrzRgmcejXNWvAsVu7_UGgcoCtwlBNUXRnqb-NtHzaTCwBEGel_D3msYyYA20e-1R_-tijQlizg/s1600/vail+vert-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... and the most amazing dogs/puppies you've ever seen! This town is dog friendly to the extreme! :)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ssfwdDUusedjN8LFnJXncV3LwYKSbZFWC81kVOrG6Fu4ETAxvgpAZawrAP2V-BR76BPJcoDwIq1NgC6-lEWQO1XyJRIv6hRd1WTVZrqohE_zaaMU4J6Bd-Y4pNm7x-tZemsOUELTnkDh/s1600/vail+horiz-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ssfwdDUusedjN8LFnJXncV3LwYKSbZFWC81kVOrG6Fu4ETAxvgpAZawrAP2V-BR76BPJcoDwIq1NgC6-lEWQO1XyJRIv6hRd1WTVZrqohE_zaaMU4J6Bd-Y4pNm7x-tZemsOUELTnkDh/s1600/vail+horiz-10.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We spent the rest of our night with my aunt Barb, uncle Jeff, and cousin Nicole at a fantastic family owned restaurant, feasting on steak and birthday-eve brownies and ice cream! (Thanks to the owner, who's a friend of my aunt and uncle's, this dessert was on the house!)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QycuiuLFjlDtl_629TKVCMzkmupL7EXJxeY_R6C_R1V0m8m8JButRivXe3qzeSrXazxnz-8FGEcE8XjzmCfLdUyctvjjGEHGRcQqAg_GTIUIAsuEm_qNmJm4R1Mc3xA8J6rtZM0nGP-O/s1600/vail-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QycuiuLFjlDtl_629TKVCMzkmupL7EXJxeY_R6C_R1V0m8m8JButRivXe3qzeSrXazxnz-8FGEcE8XjzmCfLdUyctvjjGEHGRcQqAg_GTIUIAsuEm_qNmJm4R1Mc3xA8J6rtZM0nGP-O/s1600/vail-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The next day was my 32nd BIRTHDAY! Woot Woot! I woke up to a knock on my door and my aunt handing me a homemade fruit smoothie (I think she saw me lusting over hers the morning before and knew I'd love one!)... and then when I came downstairs, she had this laying on the counter! L.O.V.E.D it and love her thoughtfulness! She's also a <u><a href="http://www.marykay.com/blayman" target="_blank">Senior Sales Director at Mary Kay</a></u> and gave me a $75 gift card to go shopping in her inventory! YES!!! (The yellow fan was actually from our wedding and the picture was from last night's dinner.) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmUWwZ_Kj3P89DH0kgorjxzaP8hm2KOBD8L2w7XNTHzD_9UkF5_7oyhf5Z2kTe1D0eXKn-syeHAfkzeJDaDSbNdGxSbLTaPRORDKsmjrHnS7yxUpgciNuvgfQ56RIfb3i1cjtVdSOoLIB/s1600/vail-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmUWwZ_Kj3P89DH0kgorjxzaP8hm2KOBD8L2w7XNTHzD_9UkF5_7oyhf5Z2kTe1D0eXKn-syeHAfkzeJDaDSbNdGxSbLTaPRORDKsmjrHnS7yxUpgciNuvgfQ56RIfb3i1cjtVdSOoLIB/s1600/vail-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Aaron gave me the funniest birthday card this year! If you've ever lived in Korea, you know why this is funny. (Korean girls love to force their boyfriends to wear "Couple T's" to publicly confess their commitment to each other.) We were actually shopping for a thank you card for our good friends Bill and Helen in Jackson Hole, who I'm pretty sure are our biggest ANP photography business fans and have already referred two of our brides to us, and Aaron found this while I was on the other side of the store and secretly bought it when I wasn't looking! :) I LOVE IT! The inside of the card is even better, but I'll leave that for my eyes... some things should stay private! :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(<a href="http://instagram.com/p/ZVnXK0CzSL/" target="_blank">Instagram pic</a>)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukSXJJFKaQOeqSW1PYaAxZUIbaevSMbN0EU02sbk6Ky1bNCufZZNaUPb5AJfCM6syC2C18vAj3BumAJKsGa3SL4QMJlhq_eOHTe-px6Zm6juP6wFD5GceBTGFBu6RlbXE0aGOJZTSH6bP/s1600/instagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukSXJJFKaQOeqSW1PYaAxZUIbaevSMbN0EU02sbk6Ky1bNCufZZNaUPb5AJfCM6syC2C18vAj3BumAJKsGa3SL4QMJlhq_eOHTe-px6Zm6juP6wFD5GceBTGFBu6RlbXE0aGOJZTSH6bP/s640/instagram.jpg" width="632" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I love opening presents (I think more than anything, I just love knowing that people thought of me!) and I had quite a few this year! Big thanks to my mom and dad, Pegg, Okk and Loola, Aaron, my sister Amy and my aunt and uncle: Barb and Jeff! I wish I would have taken a picture of everything, but I just got so excited about it all that I forgot! Sad. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
At around 10:00am, Aaron, my cousin Nicole and I all headed over to Northside Cafe for a proper doughnut breakfast - They're the best donuts in town, so we had to check them out! My cousin Nicole and I haven't actually had the chance to hang out since I was in Colorado the last time, almost 16 years ago, when I was 16 and she was 10. There wasn't a whole lot of "relating" back then, which is why this time was so great! It was as if we've been friends the whole time and the same age now! Aaron and I absolutely loved getting to hang with her! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUogRmwoXV6IiQBK5SwN2kQH9zcpB61_x9MjiXdqKh2vt6vy78rss3tKHRez1__YSm396JDWyr1k8yWSGymuroFdjXr7YnGclKTC57IKtW39lTSlfm7EkCk_GcVpG9AnYNEAL6yHqkfveM/s1600/vail-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUogRmwoXV6IiQBK5SwN2kQH9zcpB61_x9MjiXdqKh2vt6vy78rss3tKHRez1__YSm396JDWyr1k8yWSGymuroFdjXr7YnGclKTC57IKtW39lTSlfm7EkCk_GcVpG9AnYNEAL6yHqkfveM/s1600/vail-8.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
After breakfast, Aaron and I drove over to check out President Gerald and Betty Ford's old house in Beaver Creek, which recently sold for a measly 11 million! lol It's in the most incredible neighborhood... surrounded by giant custom homes (some 6 floors) overlooking the ski slopes or the valley below. What's crazy is most of them are VACATION HOMES! Sheesh!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiKhFwDY_0s0sFu0YzuSY7hzudSk85I0rrZEpjSKSG8sXcjtX3W2AM2DJzCD2XPmI6sapI5zlPwLkxs_JzdA2bXeeTm27gdAqbaTyHKoISzgCmiUEfZmHjW0cZtCUa4iWvDHolBpxYTa2/s1600/vail-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiKhFwDY_0s0sFu0YzuSY7hzudSk85I0rrZEpjSKSG8sXcjtX3W2AM2DJzCD2XPmI6sapI5zlPwLkxs_JzdA2bXeeTm27gdAqbaTyHKoISzgCmiUEfZmHjW0cZtCUa4iWvDHolBpxYTa2/s1600/vail-7.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
At 2:30pm, I had a little fun at a salon in Vail and had some blonde put back into my hair - aaahhh, to be a little more blonde again! :) Then we went back to my aunt and uncle's house for a family birthday party! My cousin Nicole's birthday is Sunday, so we had a joint party. (From left to right: Aaron, Me, my cousin Zac, my aunt Barb, my cousin Nicole, my cousin Darren, and my uncle Jeff) I'm including 3 pics, cuz I couldn't choose which one was the best of the 15 or so we attempted. We laughed so hard trying to get a good picture of the 7 of us without someone doing something silly... We're a crazy group, for sure!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NQ0iPyp3zqxFPIeQD5xJLTWaD2KveEB8ig4qcGU5GDexEG67MuCe_nY33da1aIRZLNKkCtE-PYYROGWiQUUdoHEeGg09LsjSfCunKf_VcnBlaPswnjkzVYsxgVX_cgV_P5YCsyDAsW68/s1600/vail-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NQ0iPyp3zqxFPIeQD5xJLTWaD2KveEB8ig4qcGU5GDexEG67MuCe_nY33da1aIRZLNKkCtE-PYYROGWiQUUdoHEeGg09LsjSfCunKf_VcnBlaPswnjkzVYsxgVX_cgV_P5YCsyDAsW68/s1600/vail-10.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Showing off our birthday crowns!"</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENXd9weVuKyA8E9Mt2hoBeG4hF7jLyRHwHaVCCmFOCEINkqVGBe64AlaYndFT2g485sFDrxcoR1j5XoknJg4Onv-LuVQi2g28-WBvvATPIZaXOAhP_kPhYcUstMHzTYMtVLggcWPGNorj/s1600/vail-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENXd9weVuKyA8E9Mt2hoBeG4hF7jLyRHwHaVCCmFOCEINkqVGBe64AlaYndFT2g485sFDrxcoR1j5XoknJg4Onv-LuVQi2g28-WBvvATPIZaXOAhP_kPhYcUstMHzTYMtVLggcWPGNorj/s1600/vail-11.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MCYkpYTNizYzeeLbTJA2hj-kOvogmWKvgfvY1W_6MEGDhfDNE3ySwMtpbuTiVFCIMGw7qJdiJ2a6aBHtpZJlKuNubUQj4VoINBDq77_xfpDLEond05rUNhrzeSd7ZgyvD-WRpzanxLCh/s1600/vail-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MCYkpYTNizYzeeLbTJA2hj-kOvogmWKvgfvY1W_6MEGDhfDNE3ySwMtpbuTiVFCIMGw7qJdiJ2a6aBHtpZJlKuNubUQj4VoINBDq77_xfpDLEond05rUNhrzeSd7ZgyvD-WRpzanxLCh/s1600/vail-12.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My adorable husband, who knows me SO WELL, worked so hard to secretly find cupcakes for my birthday! As it turns out, he was able to get a lady to come into her shop during her day off, to make these 12 UNBELIEVABLE custom cupcakes for me! :) It was the best surprise! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNpyT8V7mmkTb091q1UqyDmSP52Ao_J9VI52fKtsoHJw-C_gPFAgFdC2WP-7clmQ0xL5VrCvqjMmN0lrlny34Q5vHeCpHHMk86B_Zt2olwK37Z28ZXcUWY5SuraokQmqiCl0St5-uLpZ3/s1600/vail-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNpyT8V7mmkTb091q1UqyDmSP52Ao_J9VI52fKtsoHJw-C_gPFAgFdC2WP-7clmQ0xL5VrCvqjMmN0lrlny34Q5vHeCpHHMk86B_Zt2olwK37Z28ZXcUWY5SuraokQmqiCl0St5-uLpZ3/s1600/vail-14.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I mean look at these flavors - YUMMM!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegMlyhE1ImuJF5dEbspEIGAfGwOXN_SzIxgr4koT2u4KX1k0_kjSIliqoPrxJ9ww1gmJP5Nn1gE4uqQ3glLWGLZrYmc_zCq7Bpf5C7_UQSgXlePiS8CYIOhh6Q8JaxTtF2ypGNArRT8kK/s1600/vail-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegMlyhE1ImuJF5dEbspEIGAfGwOXN_SzIxgr4koT2u4KX1k0_kjSIliqoPrxJ9ww1gmJP5Nn1gE4uqQ3glLWGLZrYmc_zCq7Bpf5C7_UQSgXlePiS8CYIOhh6Q8JaxTtF2ypGNArRT8kK/s1600/vail-15.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The next morning, Nicole, Aaron and I drove over to her friend James's ranch. He and two friends live in the oldest home in the area and are surrounded by over 50 horses, a river, cool old barns, and little abandoned homes like this one... It's kind of an eerie place, but awesome at the same time! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsAbr7hKVTuPsDjC7EFHilXJBPuh4YBHu0q72ghyphenhyphenkaUmRFQLOFA4S1Xa5S386HPV4Vjq8m39KjwZ_C6bdA-RxrZTIAt0z3lqg-p5xu9TrQ3RmJQHvzGRycmR5cZm52o8ekzvRaimNg6A9/s1600/vail-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsAbr7hKVTuPsDjC7EFHilXJBPuh4YBHu0q72ghyphenhyphenkaUmRFQLOFA4S1Xa5S386HPV4Vjq8m39KjwZ_C6bdA-RxrZTIAt0z3lqg-p5xu9TrQ3RmJQHvzGRycmR5cZm52o8ekzvRaimNg6A9/s1600/vail-16.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... and this little house was originally built for the owner's pot belly pigs, but now the 2 resident peahens (female peacocks) have taken it over and love to hang here when they're not lounging on Jame's 2 chairs on the front porch of his house! Silly peahens.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXjI_BVVI25dkkO_783bispB0g90WPZBUUaz5wfmmMbtbgcAYQFxZL7IDAPEfI8aBrgHtWRnc6cq1FQkLxKb5wbJugDijI4KemMgdUT66t_5DwSNVfjmCHJwTn5Nc6Ec6c60PpQZGoPUz/s1600/vail-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXjI_BVVI25dkkO_783bispB0g90WPZBUUaz5wfmmMbtbgcAYQFxZL7IDAPEfI8aBrgHtWRnc6cq1FQkLxKb5wbJugDijI4KemMgdUT66t_5DwSNVfjmCHJwTn5Nc6Ec6c60PpQZGoPUz/s1600/vail-17.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
James, Nicole's friend, is an AVID fly fisherman! He fishes almost everyday and even works in a fly fishing shop in Vail, so when he found out Aaron and I have been wanting to fly fish the whole time we've been on the road trip, he offered to take us out on the river AND even borrowed some waders and rods from his store for FREE! Usually people pay $375 for a full day of fly fishing when he's guiding, so we obviously felt like we had won the lottery and were incredibly appreciative of him doing this all for free and showing us (the girls) the ropes!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpm5KFA707THAH7oqLts6rWH6NQ-OubyC9_pP5Rvc-Ggzl4fCJ4jN3oxGDRaIvZIGKYfQlsUZD-HCKOOtvOSL7UQkSznTxL_vlfXBtp5Y94iQ6CTSPpwxpOPMhLnF0OhRYf7Uglo2DCG9/s1600/vail-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpm5KFA707THAH7oqLts6rWH6NQ-OubyC9_pP5Rvc-Ggzl4fCJ4jN3oxGDRaIvZIGKYfQlsUZD-HCKOOtvOSL7UQkSznTxL_vlfXBtp5Y94iQ6CTSPpwxpOPMhLnF0OhRYf7Uglo2DCG9/s1600/vail-18.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQq-KJMD0OEEYnLmnCysUVdnrHK0Q-4rS7K_zyzXImGzE-qE9AuYYF1plfmyJIY6NRb_E2bkIHNQxeq-yL88iNFOHO6xTO9mFQfheN4tvpo3s8k_Oq8ybyJ1GeJoNM4kh0Rto4cDYndAPn/s1600/vail-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQq-KJMD0OEEYnLmnCysUVdnrHK0Q-4rS7K_zyzXImGzE-qE9AuYYF1plfmyJIY6NRb_E2bkIHNQxeq-yL88iNFOHO6xTO9mFQfheN4tvpo3s8k_Oq8ybyJ1GeJoNM4kh0Rto4cDYndAPn/s1600/vail-19.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This guy was in HEAVEN!!! Especially when I took this picture, because it was right as he was reeling in the first catch of the day, a beautiful trout!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEH11w_iVr1E25uFS3njjGTe5DN2XBGpDq3LGpPBEUdlajtyHC0xXyWE2aTw_RdtwvGt8u40vMoQz7srcdM4wmC7wHGGDT3ScJt0Eb_JF4edsXxq1j5Z0QrfCpJSbjGWRY4itGeLSDN5Wz/s1600/vail-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEH11w_iVr1E25uFS3njjGTe5DN2XBGpDq3LGpPBEUdlajtyHC0xXyWE2aTw_RdtwvGt8u40vMoQz7srcdM4wmC7wHGGDT3ScJt0Eb_JF4edsXxq1j5Z0QrfCpJSbjGWRY4itGeLSDN5Wz/s1600/vail-20.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosN7TI7BDllkC4zeTowg65mcLYUJTsRcRYGjDxYo1axfnYZLcAiB188fOaaB5X871B0fJkA6ATia0jaj8VxvN0maZLrsnvYRABHXl1J_QYi-ksNpW31wl7UpLC5uGbF07Tu1rY6uAX0JF/s1600/vail+vert-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosN7TI7BDllkC4zeTowg65mcLYUJTsRcRYGjDxYo1axfnYZLcAiB188fOaaB5X871B0fJkA6ATia0jaj8VxvN0maZLrsnvYRABHXl1J_QYi-ksNpW31wl7UpLC5uGbF07Tu1rY6uAX0JF/s1600/vail+vert-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I love how Nicole can look adorable wearing anything... even baggy ole' waders!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LYsOlV_2JOtQ59FcNbVVcC6rReEguL7xDCqQD6kH0Vpo7UEseyh2-rYi5Cq_CZSMlwRdHA1AqalYU8zlfECoHQl2nnIPk59XFmu-EJu0cfI-h84jld2htKeCq41SnKcpza0L3aSaK64F/s1600/vail+vert-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LYsOlV_2JOtQ59FcNbVVcC6rReEguL7xDCqQD6kH0Vpo7UEseyh2-rYi5Cq_CZSMlwRdHA1AqalYU8zlfECoHQl2nnIPk59XFmu-EJu0cfI-h84jld2htKeCq41SnKcpza0L3aSaK64F/s1600/vail+vert-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I always thought bait fishing was the way to go, but I've been converted! I L.O.V.E fly fishing. There's so much more too it and getting to "whip" the line around is my favorite part! :) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeTxY0oZ75BCD6HeLuu1B_YXPge4jnXngU0bFMSVDIZR_NfbV6F62nvuAJlcGEsSp_nsikphiMn2CYsNMCL68T4ldnZLDWhFshqaBh5OjK7xaRC4hkgp1vDrHKeAYstM0IH3jeJylCKgJ/s1600/vail-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeTxY0oZ75BCD6HeLuu1B_YXPge4jnXngU0bFMSVDIZR_NfbV6F62nvuAJlcGEsSp_nsikphiMn2CYsNMCL68T4ldnZLDWhFshqaBh5OjK7xaRC4hkgp1vDrHKeAYstM0IH3jeJylCKgJ/s1600/vail-23.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Check out that "whipping" action! lol The guys joked about how they would always flinch when I would re-cast because of how loud my "whipping" the line was! hahaha</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKQ52384VRseoAD8p8TZkdF3WH85afxow-M6x4GXGQW-lA2d0NV5Xt6eFWe8ox2V6WxMmRO8LkYoumE-nHREsgTMeblPB0MYermSGTBZ_WR0rafnhcmTn0NFKocidpjIpUxszhg88DMuV/s1600/vail-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKQ52384VRseoAD8p8TZkdF3WH85afxow-M6x4GXGQW-lA2d0NV5Xt6eFWe8ox2V6WxMmRO8LkYoumE-nHREsgTMeblPB0MYermSGTBZ_WR0rafnhcmTn0NFKocidpjIpUxszhg88DMuV/s1600/vail-24.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
James was soooo helpful! He really knows his stuff and taught Nicole and I everything we needed to know about how to cast, reel in the fish and wade out into the FREEZING COLD water! :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zdihyphenhyphenpEhnwHYZWd1AZgfu38ZgFIYWVrN-WwqRhSoYVnNwGNiMsfEKdqwNsYkucZyVn00UIMUuIiOxSlAH951yZrrM4oy5AXfwZo9D1EE8xpJiFBXtnpZODcrm9jjx8p_hz7oyCGS3gFp/s1600/vail-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zdihyphenhyphenpEhnwHYZWd1AZgfu38ZgFIYWVrN-WwqRhSoYVnNwGNiMsfEKdqwNsYkucZyVn00UIMUuIiOxSlAH951yZrrM4oy5AXfwZo9D1EE8xpJiFBXtnpZODcrm9jjx8p_hz7oyCGS3gFp/s1600/vail-25.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... and he and Aaron are like soul mates! They definitely hit it off and were in their element the whole day. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5oknlme2BiXUx7oE9JLoq-N_538ULn5lsYHjFZoatoNqpYKzVOKpkIfSCd7fUUDdNM-n4Tb4n1vkqdwfPHcyXwEnxAO121nEXrtj7i71HsY7mUyD7ymHeIiXkBYjZQkJ-EJLNB-9Hjrv/s1600/vail-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5oknlme2BiXUx7oE9JLoq-N_538ULn5lsYHjFZoatoNqpYKzVOKpkIfSCd7fUUDdNM-n4Tb4n1vkqdwfPHcyXwEnxAO121nEXrtj7i71HsY7mUyD7ymHeIiXkBYjZQkJ-EJLNB-9Hjrv/s1600/vail-26.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I couldn't have asked for a better day full of family, a new friend, and being out on the river! I think I had to remind Aaron that we're moving to Charleston and not staying in Vail, since I'm sure he would be ecstatic if we decided to stay!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimVACf4CXJ7X8eY3JpEmu9ixIvtgbd35UxZO4SUGvw7X1eHRZg8Cac0ekqS-h7FXHpLrdO8OnD-LQ7xL7p8cXb0y24uFpYjf508L6ixs60FfxI87cxYuRl23TTcUo1MbAD6yvJl0u_rAN/s1600/vail-27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimVACf4CXJ7X8eY3JpEmu9ixIvtgbd35UxZO4SUGvw7X1eHRZg8Cac0ekqS-h7FXHpLrdO8OnD-LQ7xL7p8cXb0y24uFpYjf508L6ixs60FfxI87cxYuRl23TTcUo1MbAD6yvJl0u_rAN/s1600/vail-27.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
After fishing, we headed back to my aunt and uncle's house and Aaron and I cooked dinner for the group! :) While we probably should have eaten all together, Barb and I brought the bar stools into the kitchen and watched the American Idol finale together! We just couldn't manage missing it! :) Then the 6 of us lounged around, chatting and getting our last minutes of hang time in before we all went to bed. It was the perfect way to end our time in Vail with this awesome family. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This morning, Aaron and I woke up to a VERY quite house - Jeff was already at work, Barb was on her way to Omaha for business and Nicole was off to Dallas for a birthday weekend with friends. We stalled, a lot, this morning. I think neither of us really wanted to leave, but alas, the road trip must go on, right?! Next stop is Denver, Colorado! Then on to Kansas City, St. Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Buffalo, NY... then possibly up into Canada! :) </div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-12932417714083815652013-05-11T22:00:00.000-07:002013-05-12T11:08:39.214-07:00Yellowstone!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We made it to West Yellowstone (the city just west of the park entrance) just in time for lunch... So, we checked on Yelp to see what people recommended in the area and this place came up! If you've jumped on the food truck craze, you'd love this place because it takes it to a whole other level!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjtbTobur2Z6hOpAi9OJ2sYkLVV53Gc5jU_d_fteZBdJ3WSodXHvzdwjqYTqhjgfqeyK4H-MGiVSO6eQ6Li0uCsn0s9fap29pQQVEr0pUNSH7Q7xrBSbhmtreJu7WcdEvZ-L62XTVgZNTx/s1600/Yellowstone+-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjtbTobur2Z6hOpAi9OJ2sYkLVV53Gc5jU_d_fteZBdJ3WSodXHvzdwjqYTqhjgfqeyK4H-MGiVSO6eQ6Li0uCsn0s9fap29pQQVEr0pUNSH7Q7xrBSbhmtreJu7WcdEvZ-L62XTVgZNTx/s1600/Yellowstone+-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Not only was the food INCREDIBLE and completely 100% authentically Mexican...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1sfCIyk1Kl1RFDdWQ0NXBaqlnwdaLZTQe-oUuS2_WCoNwMJkO0l3QPs6R45a4q10lbEg6eGxsG-SMXhDpUTzdYdOK6rlyyl9TCVazmu2hzU77-TdKeFSno3i1BoH9XY20mwnI9gtU0en/s1600/Yellowstone+-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1sfCIyk1Kl1RFDdWQ0NXBaqlnwdaLZTQe-oUuS2_WCoNwMJkO0l3QPs6R45a4q10lbEg6eGxsG-SMXhDpUTzdYdOK6rlyyl9TCVazmu2hzU77-TdKeFSno3i1BoH9XY20mwnI9gtU0en/s1600/Yellowstone+-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
...but they cook your meal in the back and you actually eat it on the bus! GENIUS!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyChsooeNpWX95RLQZa777kpn4MA61DWr7LiuDgE-2Cf_E1Pw3MNRn_HKMGZcTmi6HS9hjbQMhVo2Du2Ul33J3a0zq9PI3b9TMkSMJiR_in1zcOGCly0w58axxd8w9pgTZBPoc9grwVkC/s1600/Yellowstone+-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyChsooeNpWX95RLQZa777kpn4MA61DWr7LiuDgE-2Cf_E1Pw3MNRn_HKMGZcTmi6HS9hjbQMhVo2Du2Ul33J3a0zq9PI3b9TMkSMJiR_in1zcOGCly0w58axxd8w9pgTZBPoc9grwVkC/s1600/Yellowstone+-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We made it to Yellowstone, which happens to be the very first National Park in the world by the way, and checked into our campsite in Madison Campground. Did I mention we're here in off season - cuz we're here in off season and this is the ONLY campground open in Yellowstone this time of year! Thank goodness we loved it and it was right near the river and close to some of the best geysers in the park - including Old Faithful!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7TZV6EkM509jGv2k4_elrTLhyXMGRGmyqSMQD1Nw0LV9oOM_BZIZLIJMYJPqA3iE0WmWxFRjBYuBPyUZN6NoHZEB_rAV96lZER2mH3MVYO55921UHRT2zYTI3z1xCZZ5cYZ9nf_RUUDS/s1600/Yellowstone+vert-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7TZV6EkM509jGv2k4_elrTLhyXMGRGmyqSMQD1Nw0LV9oOM_BZIZLIJMYJPqA3iE0WmWxFRjBYuBPyUZN6NoHZEB_rAV96lZER2mH3MVYO55921UHRT2zYTI3z1xCZZ5cYZ9nf_RUUDS/s1600/Yellowstone+vert-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Speaking of Old Faithful... It was the first Geyser we drove to check out! Old Faithful is truly old and faithful... Its eruptions can shoot 3,700 to 8,400 gallons of boiling water up to 185 feet in the air for 1 1/2 to 5 minutes and it's called the MOST predictable geographic feature on Earth because it erupts almost every 91 minutes! The rangers actually have a sign nearby with the next eruption time so you're sure not to miss it! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7YS3CG4sVqRlKIiuOW8RRN2o5bj0APDvjOQcyjALzROswzO7vuaBSawZz2U9nT3rBX53YOaY7DbonzvSfYPorT-GcSlEH4IKtkoEO1PcP94EkQLdSj1fZCV32xb4t95DmOCjWSLvPwgf/s1600/Yellowstone+diptich+final-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7YS3CG4sVqRlKIiuOW8RRN2o5bj0APDvjOQcyjALzROswzO7vuaBSawZz2U9nT3rBX53YOaY7DbonzvSfYPorT-GcSlEH4IKtkoEO1PcP94EkQLdSj1fZCV32xb4t95DmOCjWSLvPwgf/s1600/Yellowstone+diptich+final-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
On our way back north, we stopped in at Biscuit Basin, an area with a ton of "thermals" or in plain English, hot springs, or holes in the earth where hotter than boiling water randomly bubbles up and sometimes even shoots up into the air like a geyser! I wish I could explain why the hot springs make the earth glow in oranges and greens, but I just have no idea! Science has never been my forte! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38a82v1hsFOwfRFHf_w0_pARDCTA7QQIs6mSABTLopxuOsOxsf33DO0XqvXYdE6cIvAdD-5e21Cf6F6pSe-1w0FCm8VfWEVzLn-1SYb2siv_e5ibfIObYcVYlLxXacbowMk315ZVWFxIv/s1600/Yellowstone+diptich+final-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38a82v1hsFOwfRFHf_w0_pARDCTA7QQIs6mSABTLopxuOsOxsf33DO0XqvXYdE6cIvAdD-5e21Cf6F6pSe-1w0FCm8VfWEVzLn-1SYb2siv_e5ibfIObYcVYlLxXacbowMk315ZVWFxIv/s1600/Yellowstone+diptich+final-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There's a little boardwalk of sorts that you can walk along to see all of the "thermals" and there are signs all along the way reminding you not to step off because the crust is unstable. Could you imagine falling into one of these things! Ugghhhh! We were walking by this one and as you can see, the water was just hanging out at the top and then it started gushing boiling water up in the air!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNw26U12_2i8qOYOKCS_uKKBd9am_8XLV-ZDe7opEfRHrzROJdIIxCfoz4MuC1HDBov4wIdHImr-kmBQk_7UWIJbV-9DJ55b4YRZF9qVrjSmLeRH3kf4OEOeFh6hMGk4IrxDoxB0-EAjPH/s1600/Yellowstone+diptich+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNw26U12_2i8qOYOKCS_uKKBd9am_8XLV-ZDe7opEfRHrzROJdIIxCfoz4MuC1HDBov4wIdHImr-kmBQk_7UWIJbV-9DJ55b4YRZF9qVrjSmLeRH3kf4OEOeFh6hMGk4IrxDoxB0-EAjPH/s640/Yellowstone+diptich+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We took our sweet time checking out all of the "thermals" here, but decided it was time to get back in the car with a storm like that heading our way!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UJYvm6_469G8xczVK29Ab26IWZcnc-fACjgAAISqYOPZPlGmhFO4izsmEv9ENIxWngrPELQP8PMhdjSIHkeKEMc0K_Yw1RTuuV5EPrepEFXVHPi2FeyGlxguS7SmmUoQLMU5ukxQbC_z/s1600/Yellowstone+-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UJYvm6_469G8xczVK29Ab26IWZcnc-fACjgAAISqYOPZPlGmhFO4izsmEv9ENIxWngrPELQP8PMhdjSIHkeKEMc0K_Yw1RTuuV5EPrepEFXVHPi2FeyGlxguS7SmmUoQLMU5ukxQbC_z/s1600/Yellowstone+-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Luckily, our route back to the campground side swiped the storm and we missed it completely, so we were able to pull off the road to gather some dry firewood for camp!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQg6KMW9nrUB_y8AHeDbN4AyyAV5DcbUkpjbc_u6Kc99O7I6VbducPfNC9p4T2K0jphwQNP_crXEyluoo3wW_nxnDCUb_p5Lm4sQzo0hrGYL8-KCvGo500pCQBsHr0gWGdKjrMFZDhkOr/s1600/Yellowstone+-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQg6KMW9nrUB_y8AHeDbN4AyyAV5DcbUkpjbc_u6Kc99O7I6VbducPfNC9p4T2K0jphwQNP_crXEyluoo3wW_nxnDCUb_p5Lm4sQzo0hrGYL8-KCvGo500pCQBsHr0gWGdKjrMFZDhkOr/s1600/Yellowstone+-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We spent the rest of the night cooking dinner and staying cuddled up next to the fire! The next day, we stopped in at the Artist's Paint Pots for a mile long walk/hike to see the colorful hot springs! I never knew so many hot springs existed in Yellowstone! Apparently there are over 10,000 "thermal features" in Yellowstone! You could probably spend a month here and never see all of them!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgygEjFujZc1IxOTFuyrHOoPQi-xZn0WXN3sdEbnkgWH5XR7TRtqQRPsAzqlAw3skPz1QYVkSs1u0KbzYAKwr5wmowK_jITKnZcdSPrCOlb4LzUi5X7uzy14NCCEhCc6uCv2CUl6OL6Zfs/s1600/Yellowstone+-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgygEjFujZc1IxOTFuyrHOoPQi-xZn0WXN3sdEbnkgWH5XR7TRtqQRPsAzqlAw3skPz1QYVkSs1u0KbzYAKwr5wmowK_jITKnZcdSPrCOlb4LzUi5X7uzy14NCCEhCc6uCv2CUl6OL6Zfs/s1600/Yellowstone+-7.jpg" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_BExH7NnT-ALATWzd1keC3tYuZcSSB6soDMpi89vSRLQ_0rhibiSaXxRzfgdupF92nbI3Cf-vU97t0H7P3Zvo40CNn1A3wCi17U4J92r4Liyq0raWbjaI10wEUweLJSFnZP-rIbeJcK5/s1600/Yellowstone+-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_BExH7NnT-ALATWzd1keC3tYuZcSSB6soDMpi89vSRLQ_0rhibiSaXxRzfgdupF92nbI3Cf-vU97t0H7P3Zvo40CNn1A3wCi17U4J92r4Liyq0raWbjaI10wEUweLJSFnZP-rIbeJcK5/s1600/Yellowstone+-8.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sadly, everything in Yellowstone is completely spread out. I just read that the park is larger than the state of Delaware and it shows! We spent the majority of today driving from site to site, with 15-30 miles in between sometimes! Forgive me, I have no idea what the name of this waterfall is, but we spotted it from the road somewhere on our drive from Madison Junction and Mammoth Hot Springs.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN38caMyabuQaKA6SXdLkAAgrM6k1XEGfodVgJw-Dtm3FEzcvh7Y5YxNLAMrP6CfsMLm2Pe016WSNEAGJk6Vb9HyJgOR5X593CAnIZclJ6J3yEm-ybXug-HyhAcQs-_5MTEo-Xkuws5TxT/s1600/Yellowstone+-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN38caMyabuQaKA6SXdLkAAgrM6k1XEGfodVgJw-Dtm3FEzcvh7Y5YxNLAMrP6CfsMLm2Pe016WSNEAGJk6Vb9HyJgOR5X593CAnIZclJ6J3yEm-ybXug-HyhAcQs-_5MTEo-Xkuws5TxT/s1600/Yellowstone+-9.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
After about 50 miles, we made it to Mammoth Hot Springs and it was definitely worth the time spent cooped up in the car! It was like crystal blue boiling waterfalls on a marshmallow mountain!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6HR6zvjF36CTE3npbnerpo6skG8czBi43tzdQJ36j68b46tHKmVhppSlxEeVe7RiJqtOzKD58JwpynieumQgAauO38yPk57oGmxZ8xmPR7prGQX8aGdx8QXcjYKNaSnoBdHEw9EpkI-d/s1600/Yellowstone+-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6HR6zvjF36CTE3npbnerpo6skG8czBi43tzdQJ36j68b46tHKmVhppSlxEeVe7RiJqtOzKD58JwpynieumQgAauO38yPk57oGmxZ8xmPR7prGQX8aGdx8QXcjYKNaSnoBdHEw9EpkI-d/s1600/Yellowstone+-11.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We had definitely never seen anything like this! And what's crazy is, it's only 25 years old! The thermals (hot springs / geysers) are always changing throughout the park! Some go dormant while others pop up randomly and make stuff like this! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBLiuuplzlSParZQFx-r2yBUwpTR5qkPo2EX05BsrPCDt8-AJrpdcudqVZ_VMum1pxopN9TIH6bjwe8pXrF7i9AiGKHuM755tGwMhI1eR3VuebWUwnQWp75OOK7x17L9WBpIch49kkssp/s1600/Yellowstone+-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBLiuuplzlSParZQFx-r2yBUwpTR5qkPo2EX05BsrPCDt8-AJrpdcudqVZ_VMum1pxopN9TIH6bjwe8pXrF7i9AiGKHuM755tGwMhI1eR3VuebWUwnQWp75OOK7x17L9WBpIch49kkssp/s1600/Yellowstone+-13.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsAMRx0eybhct_zG9dTauP1ZT9DU7RD0NO7fStRBuw0nlWbHvnUdzEifdXF9aC9thsQhARc2N7LiUzACqGKa66uMBV8bGzqG33PvwOweTobbu97lzvNwnDQwa_hKHEGId-YlrLwElUZHG/s1600/Yellowstone+-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsAMRx0eybhct_zG9dTauP1ZT9DU7RD0NO7fStRBuw0nlWbHvnUdzEifdXF9aC9thsQhARc2N7LiUzACqGKa66uMBV8bGzqG33PvwOweTobbu97lzvNwnDQwa_hKHEGId-YlrLwElUZHG/s1600/Yellowstone+-14.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlQz6dcRApPdZjWy4y0Q5MgupsIB8lUO9N0HPXW9Rcr2ks39eDyQL6irYty2uG025RNZT4n-ciqbBAXVapRzhKDfW3bsYhb5sc3W2HWIpSr5Hnwc1Va973TJzy7l7BwG8NCJIPXvhPMW7/s1600/Yellowstone+-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlQz6dcRApPdZjWy4y0Q5MgupsIB8lUO9N0HPXW9Rcr2ks39eDyQL6irYty2uG025RNZT4n-ciqbBAXVapRzhKDfW3bsYhb5sc3W2HWIpSr5Hnwc1Va973TJzy7l7BwG8NCJIPXvhPMW7/s1600/Yellowstone+-15.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As we were pulling out of the parking lot, we stopped the ranger and asked where all the best places to see wild animal are. She pointed us north and we jumped right back on the road and saw all kinds of animals - like this Bull Elk! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XWQwanKLm3Kuk16csEp_Boku18I_3Kiq28o2FxA7HUWKspdkT62Zo6aBZ1hUoR1M3RZikzx17fYHbXN_lj7r-PiKQyguz63GJTa7WIYhCcD34BEmVX_BXwauBhkF6hULaOL3XehTlmv0/s1600/Yellowstone+-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XWQwanKLm3Kuk16csEp_Boku18I_3Kiq28o2FxA7HUWKspdkT62Zo6aBZ1hUoR1M3RZikzx17fYHbXN_lj7r-PiKQyguz63GJTa7WIYhCcD34BEmVX_BXwauBhkF6hULaOL3XehTlmv0/s1600/Yellowstone+-16.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... and this momma Black bear and her two cubs! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQu8fsAfRmFNCQlhXv7SAssJ2VkPiZ3R_IIZ5xq05L9_LeBnPJjgbkrhiCGm1G04gI25as9lFG92ppV8z_c2EU3du1B83e7us_tp2gE3GkDDPhTI08kZk7Tl-Zea14OVTzlAHDchSoMy4Q/s1600/Yellowstone+-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQu8fsAfRmFNCQlhXv7SAssJ2VkPiZ3R_IIZ5xq05L9_LeBnPJjgbkrhiCGm1G04gI25as9lFG92ppV8z_c2EU3du1B83e7us_tp2gE3GkDDPhTI08kZk7Tl-Zea14OVTzlAHDchSoMy4Q/s1600/Yellowstone+-17.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVfx5gCOGp15FUaficYMt-b8hljCOyVqGS0hBIcSkdzG2usZ6GeI92sD_witWLXjM9q6lKbJVMjdXZE22YVHMKW3T5Jl0S-21JiQVSWvN3-mzKrEZ6bUcQYX2ood7gc37RUDK5Q68MYGS/s1600/Yellowstone+-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVfx5gCOGp15FUaficYMt-b8hljCOyVqGS0hBIcSkdzG2usZ6GeI92sD_witWLXjM9q6lKbJVMjdXZE22YVHMKW3T5Jl0S-21JiQVSWvN3-mzKrEZ6bUcQYX2ood7gc37RUDK5Q68MYGS/s1600/Yellowstone+-18.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... and another Bull Elk!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NqZ8buO0xHU5QAz0ogJ6CbG5n6iUdLR7k5L_YozMvB4MRu_A-YKyR3tjFx_FBIj0UizPi9FKVPL8zN4AJO_Z96s2WR2YzcucwoIbsYl57mBelB0lGBCLHFicQvVbKZuHQy6R-jFTEVu1/s1600/Yellowstone+-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NqZ8buO0xHU5QAz0ogJ6CbG5n6iUdLR7k5L_YozMvB4MRu_A-YKyR3tjFx_FBIj0UizPi9FKVPL8zN4AJO_Z96s2WR2YzcucwoIbsYl57mBelB0lGBCLHFicQvVbKZuHQy6R-jFTEVu1/s1600/Yellowstone+-19.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Driving through Yellowstone is like taking a North American style safari! In the last week, we've seen:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b>1 Moose</b></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b>3 Bull Elk</b></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b>2 Coyotes</b></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b>4 Black Bear and 2 cubs</b></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b>1 Yellow Bellied Marmot</b></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b>300+ Bison or Buffalo... I can't really tell the difference!</b></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b>500+ Deer</b></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b>and over 1,000 sheep!</b></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4ExfhowZgQYPaYxQPmhXZowfjhKTebGFUT5o3Ywbmlam7_TmbPAqFckefGgbLCTNR-SRm80zC7ONT2Ah-JXuhFztbGs87snBamyKvwDaQwEmAs9ZJSmNln-aehd_pFq030xjhCnnPgQL/s1600/Yellowstone+-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4ExfhowZgQYPaYxQPmhXZowfjhKTebGFUT5o3Ywbmlam7_TmbPAqFckefGgbLCTNR-SRm80zC7ONT2Ah-JXuhFztbGs87snBamyKvwDaQwEmAs9ZJSmNln-aehd_pFq030xjhCnnPgQL/s1600/Yellowstone+-20.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We made it back to camp right as the sun was setting around 8:30pm and cooked up some stuffed bell peppers for dinner! :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCk-soBC0KEUnGVI_rKbSp4GGJPD7z8UuxBad1NIyX8cXYGvqyLJZEuzDFxcEVwMthd79J3u-qwTPjp8vvuMWSEHMBJPl8P2FqtfJ9lxQofYNmdzZPPaOLGbdp72iSFe29lR0zr45cGzms/s1600/Yellowstone+-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCk-soBC0KEUnGVI_rKbSp4GGJPD7z8UuxBad1NIyX8cXYGvqyLJZEuzDFxcEVwMthd79J3u-qwTPjp8vvuMWSEHMBJPl8P2FqtfJ9lxQofYNmdzZPPaOLGbdp72iSFe29lR0zr45cGzms/s1600/Yellowstone+-21.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This is our little camping kitchen set up. :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrisGaZ2-S6xn6CtZ34zCtiB8SeOzZSd6IjAA43tNYKpNjJt6JJhsRE9KKwBvuC2nSTEtBpY52mvLPseKFbs5wjsHqUlK1MkioiHiwNqpiypzmsmxZgJf3IpW_yCSizQ4iTpTd_BH5Wid/s1600/Yellowstone+-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrisGaZ2-S6xn6CtZ34zCtiB8SeOzZSd6IjAA43tNYKpNjJt6JJhsRE9KKwBvuC2nSTEtBpY52mvLPseKFbs5wjsHqUlK1MkioiHiwNqpiypzmsmxZgJf3IpW_yCSizQ4iTpTd_BH5Wid/s1600/Yellowstone+-22.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We spent the rest of the night by the fire roasting marshmallows and trying to stay warm! This fire was ESPECIALLY awesome because I happened to look down at the wood and there was a distinctive HEART SHAPE right in the middle! <i>See it?</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_E39zhR0NBFOWmzVxpz6dSrTLHFC1yyA5Ep5eFx-vSFyQQUp8ygOiUVGqWK_cc0qSNm2UdgnKWiKgleVjumterge6BHdVfxU_gF-gHGto1W0qwA_cLvvysIjLbH9C7cxuiosuvHkHa4A/s1600/Yellowstone+-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_E39zhR0NBFOWmzVxpz6dSrTLHFC1yyA5Ep5eFx-vSFyQQUp8ygOiUVGqWK_cc0qSNm2UdgnKWiKgleVjumterge6BHdVfxU_gF-gHGto1W0qwA_cLvvysIjLbH9C7cxuiosuvHkHa4A/s1600/Yellowstone+-23.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It's a sign, that love is in the air - and in the fire apparently! :)</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-24287261554715391412013-05-08T22:55:00.000-07:002013-05-11T14:59:51.782-07:00Jackson Hole, Wyoming!<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We LOVE Jackson Hole, Wyoming and everyone that we’ve met who
lives here seem to love it too! Have you
ever been somewhere in America where EVERYONE is in a good mood, helpful,
accommodating and just plain happy?! Well, if not, come here and see for yourself! It’s contagious and I love it!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Our original plan was to camp while we were here in the
Grand Tetons, but the next 3 days showed rain and snow for the forecast, so we
checked into this hotel, right smack dab in the middle of downtown! <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXu_3dQw7aef24Er4gQKPXulxBbd2B7Rtn4LRAgDjQgpNZzV3dLXU0xrkK5iGxYTjtfZ132b9LjiW-Sudbsz6P-_M185E4rCB-IUoaxOIQiwQ-p53jx0Xtd_buvpWY26EQUasmU-qDN-QM/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXu_3dQw7aef24Er4gQKPXulxBbd2B7Rtn4LRAgDjQgpNZzV3dLXU0xrkK5iGxYTjtfZ132b9LjiW-Sudbsz6P-_M185E4rCB-IUoaxOIQiwQ-p53jx0Xtd_buvpWY26EQUasmU-qDN-QM/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
In the morning, we jumped in the car and headed 12 miles
into “the park” (Grand Teton National Park) to see the century old homes and barns on Mormon Row, a settlement where a dozen or so Mormon families came to farm and live in the early 1900's. This is the John Moulton Homestead. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUver9QGRPX0cWLYSigohxwiOm9wyc4pm_FPtp7Kt_jE3rMAE3oDJarSq5VvU5uQmghnbOSJpmiLFVSWnEAVQ6LIwCtCyVpGpcJZbVUpbOI4X2Jt_um30bKAWxRe39Tm6l3ybehAREWSfc/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUver9QGRPX0cWLYSigohxwiOm9wyc4pm_FPtp7Kt_jE3rMAE3oDJarSq5VvU5uQmghnbOSJpmiLFVSWnEAVQ6LIwCtCyVpGpcJZbVUpbOI4X2Jt_um30bKAWxRe39Tm6l3ybehAREWSfc/s1600/2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrc7KxjfXf2MMP6s7xGCFDXHIult83nhjg14fx_gs63-cKab-Wu0DlKL2cWzzdZ7kOPk24rOgT9TPFt7-8-pxw_3TZxLtQ9j9TUhs3QUNIz9Q0cCrnk3Ftt62OpWEdkP3oni6vMiHE1Zoa/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrc7KxjfXf2MMP6s7xGCFDXHIult83nhjg14fx_gs63-cKab-Wu0DlKL2cWzzdZ7kOPk24rOgT9TPFt7-8-pxw_3TZxLtQ9j9TUhs3QUNIz9Q0cCrnk3Ftt62OpWEdkP3oni6vMiHE1Zoa/s1600/3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FI0IpkafxN3UNBFeN85_V9gGxdOcZqj0CHEHEJcO4ioh0cC6P82ESpoK8gfL2Xm-DOz0iwVLd3a6Rx0EVa2TqaVyrqke3ot6hHLyfpItl8_o7EexL_XLy_mcjWk20QTVNNGCTQYmDF_X/s1600/4.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FI0IpkafxN3UNBFeN85_V9gGxdOcZqj0CHEHEJcO4ioh0cC6P82ESpoK8gfL2Xm-DOz0iwVLd3a6Rx0EVa2TqaVyrqke3ot6hHLyfpItl8_o7EexL_XLy_mcjWk20QTVNNGCTQYmDF_X/s1600/4.5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcB8Qzvd840WydiDuNp-_-qSL7ZWQ-dj1TI9f9RKjIAXfZuSuacFswi8Wkx2ptNt5CMfwHUBUtb2Q1X9kUc_A4KLjLP9Abrn-csaj-2j5k58LEvwi4LkvNkHlu-vogugguRf7Aa1-z8MR/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcB8Qzvd840WydiDuNp-_-qSL7ZWQ-dj1TI9f9RKjIAXfZuSuacFswi8Wkx2ptNt5CMfwHUBUtb2Q1X9kUc_A4KLjLP9Abrn-csaj-2j5k58LEvwi4LkvNkHlu-vogugguRf7Aa1-z8MR/s1600/5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Usually there are hordes of tourists here, but we had the
place to ourselves, which was a fun treat!
The perks of coming in the off season, I guess!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtVnEVsuNuxA59EtkjUwqrmc8JLu-utHn08UW1akW-RVDLuHEzHAPlK2dqTXdc_RZgB0coPuNZPPkJ6SRcW2-JZdIqbBf3GR95I55qclF5W0oWSg8Ev5L6gbiXNMSXtAjDgBruxwWYPhy/s1600/6.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtVnEVsuNuxA59EtkjUwqrmc8JLu-utHn08UW1akW-RVDLuHEzHAPlK2dqTXdc_RZgB0coPuNZPPkJ6SRcW2-JZdIqbBf3GR95I55qclF5W0oWSg8Ev5L6gbiXNMSXtAjDgBruxwWYPhy/s1600/6.5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I've had people say they can't imagine me roughing it for a month, camping and not wearing any makeup or heels... well, here you go, friends! PROOF!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3L4ni5XViQhx4pxKeonvP2S3wSlQaIgTS11ryx_SjnIOjqPDwJjkLPn0zHswVw_JXwaiWbVlis_CSDndzYOdPe9guci4b4sSsv3tVQVOpBD1_GRx7w3cSNAKWqT_4iQcAr11oTMO9gxUN/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3L4ni5XViQhx4pxKeonvP2S3wSlQaIgTS11ryx_SjnIOjqPDwJjkLPn0zHswVw_JXwaiWbVlis_CSDndzYOdPe9guci4b4sSsv3tVQVOpBD1_GRx7w3cSNAKWqT_4iQcAr11oTMO9gxUN/s1600/6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
After leaving Mormon Row, we drove over to Gros Vente
(pronounced Grow Vant) road to check out the wildlife, which technically is ALL
over the park, but we gave this road a try first! Good thing we did, because we spotted a
moose!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtklcQiAnZcPk-zCMfxnAKSQa7YuRBnWOsPMnqvjbkqBu-lkM7qL3k3QrZkYM3HEs-xXQRa1gVhwhIxyaaViw0hEUWuADJPJkj5fX0hLPo8xP5UTHkMKYMpQxZxtSInppSRLZeFgzXcctL/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtklcQiAnZcPk-zCMfxnAKSQa7YuRBnWOsPMnqvjbkqBu-lkM7qL3k3QrZkYM3HEs-xXQRa1gVhwhIxyaaViw0hEUWuADJPJkj5fX0hLPo8xP5UTHkMKYMpQxZxtSInppSRLZeFgzXcctL/s1600/8.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We made a giant loop around the park today and stopped in at
Jackson Lake for a chance to get out and stretch our legs and see the
lake! When this isn’t frozen over, it’s
great for fishing, boating, and kayaking!
At this time of year it’s just good for looking at! Lol</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSW4vxFYW8d4Uen1gAAYmlMnZPAKyg7BJX_qmnU0aAA84gwPwlzqr47rP9pfO2ykNZNIyiizuXg6H6pjVn49qr8Nhu6PhvYNbgJPIciZO7TRQDM_Jg3mvxbCLWzB0Jis6OwVipMiAGHPkM/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSW4vxFYW8d4Uen1gAAYmlMnZPAKyg7BJX_qmnU0aAA84gwPwlzqr47rP9pfO2ykNZNIyiizuXg6H6pjVn49qr8Nhu6PhvYNbgJPIciZO7TRQDM_Jg3mvxbCLWzB0Jis6OwVipMiAGHPkM/s1600/9.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
...Well, and for having snowball fights! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6E_aBMITCGDcfT0a9Me0TOZoZjJREJ-bs-Z7jnxl632Yhf9v_FfIRBQoUSMo11pSqi7S2NtujnJWqWtQh7qnPeOSZOqYa0me6Pm3eLFA2u7mkqCJvLDijodgs-Qt3JVPfvdRRW5akftp/s1600/10.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6E_aBMITCGDcfT0a9Me0TOZoZjJREJ-bs-Z7jnxl632Yhf9v_FfIRBQoUSMo11pSqi7S2NtujnJWqWtQh7qnPeOSZOqYa0me6Pm3eLFA2u7mkqCJvLDijodgs-Qt3JVPfvdRRW5akftp/s1600/10.5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Before heading back to town for dinner, we stopped in at
Jenny Lake to see what was going on!
Just like Jackson lake, parts of it were FROZEN too which I happen to
think is stunning! I’m a little obsessed
with “reflection photos” now! You’ll see
a few more in this post!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbPQvb6fWmyiRcaXjXswTRBia1xN6CLneln3GJf0iqSldiPP_asqc6fIc2MikuGEmOOUO8c-vC7AxAFq05Ps96JkYViIY8zrfS4Y9yaxFBqIoLKDEQUbjrGyKrvzKv4r6XKxpVEXiYK3u/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbPQvb6fWmyiRcaXjXswTRBia1xN6CLneln3GJf0iqSldiPP_asqc6fIc2MikuGEmOOUO8c-vC7AxAFq05Ps96JkYViIY8zrfS4Y9yaxFBqIoLKDEQUbjrGyKrvzKv4r6XKxpVEXiYK3u/s1600/11.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
My friend Adam has a family cabin in Jackson Hole and my
aunt Debby worked as an activities director for a season here, and both
recommended that we check out Cowboy Bar downtown!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrwmyIX0PyokyOFRQRWxzQuzXEPy7ijMnzvovUiaDjy2b2iTCtZd_W_XIBPZTp1amBfQWzo2TQV-YYxQ_bpPDdB6fMo9S_jqtaKEnKCeK2NqL5jG_fnQCzoEPIZZqzWITI83fGcgLlVsU/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrwmyIX0PyokyOFRQRWxzQuzXEPy7ijMnzvovUiaDjy2b2iTCtZd_W_XIBPZTp1amBfQWzo2TQV-YYxQ_bpPDdB6fMo9S_jqtaKEnKCeK2NqL5jG_fnQCzoEPIZZqzWITI83fGcgLlVsU/s1600/12.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: center;">We were huge fans! </span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">The inside is rustic and cool and the food was fantastic! </span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">They have a special for a burger and beer between 5:00 and 7:30pm for $6.50! </span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Aaron was especially excited about the deal cuz he got my beer! </span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Haha. Boys!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vbhKEl7Bt1Fn1LEw6RqrC6buIBNV8G6EXqZg-HWy_i9dXADku9gNI0fmqA3ojjW_sIGPbFbnrYCsi5xDAzXMA4TSuOlMhDp5EIbsFIFW9Y2NBBgSntAuKLeQ6v8BVjsDkZ7XQUa_NZc3/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vbhKEl7Bt1Fn1LEw6RqrC6buIBNV8G6EXqZg-HWy_i9dXADku9gNI0fmqA3ojjW_sIGPbFbnrYCsi5xDAzXMA4TSuOlMhDp5EIbsFIFW9Y2NBBgSntAuKLeQ6v8BVjsDkZ7XQUa_NZc3/s1600/13.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pud3oozAXBXin9JZXIr-7pDYggfaYxvTk9bZwgMhqKO8yA75J7hs3B_Bv2Z1iPX1AzOBOXRPO_ATpWLFePok2IXvuxtWxaP7ShZK9ICs7-mQoYQouh6dqWncyQ86l6Vq7e4I6Trlh-fz/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pud3oozAXBXin9JZXIr-7pDYggfaYxvTk9bZwgMhqKO8yA75J7hs3B_Bv2Z1iPX1AzOBOXRPO_ATpWLFePok2IXvuxtWxaP7ShZK9ICs7-mQoYQouh6dqWncyQ86l6Vq7e4I6Trlh-fz/s1600/14.jpg" /></a> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The days here are VERY LONG!
The sun doesn’t seem to ever go away, which is kinda nice when you wanna
see a bunch of stuff… like this antler arch at 9:00pm in Jackson Square! Oh and
yes, it’s frigidly cold here!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_f8unNKwulWf6PMxV-8GHaRFa92e3FBhyphenhyphenM3ydQ8iLXZ8rLN1MHZG0_pvVnQTc0SVnPH6OCBiUGvoNMeTUbTdAMuwjrxfcOGDvnBevw0bh2TVOMp4D29oT4PU7WymoJBDeIOfBMaQmz6_u/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_f8unNKwulWf6PMxV-8GHaRFa92e3FBhyphenhyphenM3ydQ8iLXZ8rLN1MHZG0_pvVnQTc0SVnPH6OCBiUGvoNMeTUbTdAMuwjrxfcOGDvnBevw0bh2TVOMp4D29oT4PU7WymoJBDeIOfBMaQmz6_u/s1600/15.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
In case your wondering where all the antlers came from…
pretty interesting if you ask me!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvY2SWfmBwXfZqeIfzXZnZWusgcPR7MlpDHxlFIZ2QmfgQK1vF4DXzS-lI9WoDxVKMJg-HAkMRnSwyLjWH0vaJW6gORXM3JqpUHwdzBRa-ILuNC9jkD5piRriFDh_HZilVwDSEj6ekPDP8/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvY2SWfmBwXfZqeIfzXZnZWusgcPR7MlpDHxlFIZ2QmfgQK1vF4DXzS-lI9WoDxVKMJg-HAkMRnSwyLjWH0vaJW6gORXM3JqpUHwdzBRa-ILuNC9jkD5piRriFDh_HZilVwDSEj6ekPDP8/s1600/16.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The next day we decided would be a fishing day! Luckily the rain wasn’t forecasted to appear
until late afternoon, so we bought a fishing license for $14 and headed out to
the Snake River!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZg3p7HzTR6WLk5UWCCd-zFAfd4pM74sDLCq7nHD-QhjxJM1i5voQpUm_681hDySu_2KyFfGpx9leetioXl5FLTSRX64W-gXM800N-4i2flwpIj-VlFQl2Bqhz8cVHL-YvMcqFzAZAvFn/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZg3p7HzTR6WLk5UWCCd-zFAfd4pM74sDLCq7nHD-QhjxJM1i5voQpUm_681hDySu_2KyFfGpx9leetioXl5FLTSRX64W-gXM800N-4i2flwpIj-VlFQl2Bqhz8cVHL-YvMcqFzAZAvFn/s1600/17.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I knew I brought my Hunter rain boots for a reason! <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvH0te1vWJMCXb4SCOAEwiaeA7d8TOsdCKVXTkXIWx8Oynm9xMRdxyuoZdCZqzcyaZGqz9KWQZ8VASa3cuh31Rc_D4O5PYrVP8U2i83_1bs72fETTyMZuQheG-iPj6OUzt4kjE_LpbsaA_/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvH0te1vWJMCXb4SCOAEwiaeA7d8TOsdCKVXTkXIWx8Oynm9xMRdxyuoZdCZqzcyaZGqz9KWQZ8VASa3cuh31Rc_D4O5PYrVP8U2i83_1bs72fETTyMZuQheG-iPj6OUzt4kjE_LpbsaA_/s1600/18.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Sadly we didn’t catch ANYTHING, but it’s all good! We spotted 3 animal tracks near the river though, which was just as exciting to me!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
1)Elk <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
2) coyote/wolf?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
3) BEAR!!!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9sMFZExlq9oIJwDzqO_lKDSo5KJNfbBBqaiyNyvs08Swwudq-fwfqiw1FbWwb9ByodIB5cuf4bb0pClCriVT5hkEYX9SQefqG6bnwc_nAdHuYupii5EyCZj3kvHgf4AFzSb9VpMnYM4Z/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9sMFZExlq9oIJwDzqO_lKDSo5KJNfbBBqaiyNyvs08Swwudq-fwfqiw1FbWwb9ByodIB5cuf4bb0pClCriVT5hkEYX9SQefqG6bnwc_nAdHuYupii5EyCZj3kvHgf4AFzSb9VpMnYM4Z/s1600/19.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
My aunt Debby told us a road to take where we would probably
see a bear… Sadly, we didn’t see any, and it wasn’t because we were driving too
fast – we were cruising at about 25 in a 45mph area! Haha. We did see a buffalo
though!<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8mfFGswgKyoq-gzyDwjGfgK8QjMk7jM1se13eQHX-umKHhbCqvNMGMVeS30apSbvDEFq3hQbAY5rFBnLsB0jdkloOYcWaVyHKDeAq1DJ0-v8JPtbFdeXzD5SUqJqgvWFJDq-m6lrwvys/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8mfFGswgKyoq-gzyDwjGfgK8QjMk7jM1se13eQHX-umKHhbCqvNMGMVeS30apSbvDEFq3hQbAY5rFBnLsB0jdkloOYcWaVyHKDeAq1DJ0-v8JPtbFdeXzD5SUqJqgvWFJDq-m6lrwvys/s1600/20.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
After a full day of fishing, we headed back into town for
dinner at <a href="http://www.bettyrock.com/" target="_blank">Betty Rock</a>, another charming and delicious spot recommended by Adam! The next day was spent hiking up to Taggart Lake! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkFDLKP2zZyReys8P_HD0UwwnHqtv_jTiDbLOyPVcCkod_lqDSQBgd5B0cWJ8PYj8jowRJpxIq2lPJl9rUg3043VeV_SLocyMVZLtocENxgxlD1VZEltqVxEk1BYD54Nyru5-HWVRtCym/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkFDLKP2zZyReys8P_HD0UwwnHqtv_jTiDbLOyPVcCkod_lqDSQBgd5B0cWJ8PYj8jowRJpxIq2lPJl9rUg3043VeV_SLocyMVZLtocENxgxlD1VZEltqVxEk1BYD54Nyru5-HWVRtCym/s1600/21.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDdkCgjgHQ3Cz4TrTUlKm5AAstNwIFRofq_vqBIdz0qrYdB7jo9Lu4pIi0PeMhNj17VQtZpLoYirO_tPsXcHrTHDSAEQ4MWgHfvwQVuT8P730w6umd4UOTxIeGOVlU9EeBMJmrgQcIZSt/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDdkCgjgHQ3Cz4TrTUlKm5AAstNwIFRofq_vqBIdz0qrYdB7jo9Lu4pIi0PeMhNj17VQtZpLoYirO_tPsXcHrTHDSAEQ4MWgHfvwQVuT8P730w6umd4UOTxIeGOVlU9EeBMJmrgQcIZSt/s1600/22.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVmhDFoRyJXdVvR8r80SWUA44c2Du_WP4Ot1mRxh6ByNoR4VOAZsbkUXy0rgt-bAzEaO1ldGHEhVD9eWF4OIV2YJGc5k7nfw0TSZN7dn_BckIVJmrayK9uPwVoajIQXGvYORLFzrXC-wG/s1600/23.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVmhDFoRyJXdVvR8r80SWUA44c2Du_WP4Ot1mRxh6ByNoR4VOAZsbkUXy0rgt-bAzEaO1ldGHEhVD9eWF4OIV2YJGc5k7nfw0TSZN7dn_BckIVJmrayK9uPwVoajIQXGvYORLFzrXC-wG/s1600/23.2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gFWZxWjtn2Nsnx2w-IuQymfmDGPD8dEd42i0IiXwKsCVnO-J2hgkNIGSar_-nE_OwAPx514ZcKRjdB2HLKAhsie2kdXBzJSVJYF1uBS97JDIpLhKBHo_WGK2Koa0SR5FH0T8UT8dOS4M/s1600/23.4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gFWZxWjtn2Nsnx2w-IuQymfmDGPD8dEd42i0IiXwKsCVnO-J2hgkNIGSar_-nE_OwAPx514ZcKRjdB2HLKAhsie2kdXBzJSVJYF1uBS97JDIpLhKBHo_WGK2Koa0SR5FH0T8UT8dOS4M/s1600/23.4.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEejcrhje9_G11brLZAKiW3kSBXtFBVOpr5Z3fAQUqvTZM1ayy2etiU_6BFg5OzlwaZVFIu4MfkIoJDL974SX2EzlKmE_hzWz6mwbPeLY9MBBRyeg07iFTWmXOFovcQtb3AX2Kz83vBDPX/s1600/23.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEejcrhje9_G11brLZAKiW3kSBXtFBVOpr5Z3fAQUqvTZM1ayy2etiU_6BFg5OzlwaZVFIu4MfkIoJDL974SX2EzlKmE_hzWz6mwbPeLY9MBBRyeg07iFTWmXOFovcQtb3AX2Kz83vBDPX/s1600/23.5.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I obviously wasn’t aware of all the snow we would encounter
when I opted for my adidas capris! Good news is the sun was out in full, so I
didn’t catch frostbite on my calves!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglLd5O4lzryFxmc5xKuuCMbv5Mfg183HPtk9LmwJbpLywgKPqTZHVxnnr2PpWZxHVy5vsphjDGiC9x3OuVC2dIx0OWPPk7BfGrfRQ22fyAOjZTfP7SMws7on7ygnJlVN_k-enM8ovyUi-/s1600/27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglLd5O4lzryFxmc5xKuuCMbv5Mfg183HPtk9LmwJbpLywgKPqTZHVxnnr2PpWZxHVy5vsphjDGiC9x3OuVC2dIx0OWPPk7BfGrfRQ22fyAOjZTfP7SMws7on7ygnJlVN_k-enM8ovyUi-/s1600/27.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We made it to the lake without running into any bears, which
I consider to be a stroke of luck!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DqkVRsrxFIMSe75_OwnIi4RSwSGl8fR519bANxgvAP7i2fTlDqZoI69lMfin4-VvhdQ5-dnk5pO9uTSxLUMRC4rxIXSBKtQmTa49Glo58OKitxas00gQGQwJWdXUOqXdLE9ky9t2_HH7/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DqkVRsrxFIMSe75_OwnIi4RSwSGl8fR519bANxgvAP7i2fTlDqZoI69lMfin4-VvhdQ5-dnk5pO9uTSxLUMRC4rxIXSBKtQmTa49Glo58OKitxas00gQGQwJWdXUOqXdLE9ky9t2_HH7/s1600/24.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIgCH0Lvd4WZ2I6BkSJY2sO08wiClYW4Z5v37U4sFAQ5-YZPD1seCoQcZc9K3cShrkPgBewXv-9QeqSMYdoTnYtwiSAEczJ54NcIfbpCXnS6-yh0udden_2QLpmymyHlCjRaasdxB_82Q/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIgCH0Lvd4WZ2I6BkSJY2sO08wiClYW4Z5v37U4sFAQ5-YZPD1seCoQcZc9K3cShrkPgBewXv-9QeqSMYdoTnYtwiSAEczJ54NcIfbpCXnS6-yh0udden_2QLpmymyHlCjRaasdxB_82Q/s1600/25.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We had lunch here on this rock and took in the scenery for
an hour or so! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_9q81-Ma_FhXaZol3Tbgt-bV7mWeV0af47MyaOlVdTyWSF5_jQCjaCaLlEYtGnslB5QjrK-JWR-MVGzd_nXm-n42Y2lxR_rcLEl8pk2_RP9KUqZ4Ftr50dvdUgcVg3XfVdMf0-k9myPq/s1600/25.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_9q81-Ma_FhXaZol3Tbgt-bV7mWeV0af47MyaOlVdTyWSF5_jQCjaCaLlEYtGnslB5QjrK-JWR-MVGzd_nXm-n42Y2lxR_rcLEl8pk2_RP9KUqZ4Ftr50dvdUgcVg3XfVdMf0-k9myPq/s1600/25.2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Then we did boy stuff like throwing rocks into the ice!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheyxQO3EuBvQnh90YKVPFC1L9B3AAnG8DFoI-I4pq5BP_gt_gqHIfE4UWFTfHttfFvSFWfhQ-2Uklee_FzuNhVuJtc9v0TngRd3ZpkBVSEGiriJP2C3NYFgLlrl-wAANxkk6pF8fHRma_-/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheyxQO3EuBvQnh90YKVPFC1L9B3AAnG8DFoI-I4pq5BP_gt_gqHIfE4UWFTfHttfFvSFWfhQ-2Uklee_FzuNhVuJtc9v0TngRd3ZpkBVSEGiriJP2C3NYFgLlrl-wAANxkk6pF8fHRma_-/s1600/26.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Then made our way back through the snow…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkPp08Z02jCZ0CFPPVf98hFqASfwbPn7Umpvn5kC5sY-8YlDhtV0nCxF0M8mgeIIUqUFibWCAiC3WOJpcrc5dpEtEMD5sY-We7Fn2eccaRr8_mifgU7gnADizxfaDSkhd0b_nUnqB0UbP/s1600/24.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkPp08Z02jCZ0CFPPVf98hFqASfwbPn7Umpvn5kC5sY-8YlDhtV0nCxF0M8mgeIIUqUFibWCAiC3WOJpcrc5dpEtEMD5sY-We7Fn2eccaRr8_mifgU7gnADizxfaDSkhd0b_nUnqB0UbP/s1600/24.2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Back to the main trail, where we passed a ranch with this
awesome long haired horse, which looks to me more like a lion than a horse!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOrUqkbrm7UKHhqkBo-YTBfaDRUKCDaBFxAp9IC2XhbQ88SWuGhztwKq7T2fexCWsq9hIuVBF0LL331NIGkchTHhVJOR4u_BCeKFfSQB9c2PiZ6EljJUuSjEJi7wSq-85arozjR1eVvM5/s1600/28.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOrUqkbrm7UKHhqkBo-YTBfaDRUKCDaBFxAp9IC2XhbQ88SWuGhztwKq7T2fexCWsq9hIuVBF0LL331NIGkchTHhVJOR4u_BCeKFfSQB9c2PiZ6EljJUuSjEJi7wSq-85arozjR1eVvM5/s1600/28.2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUxmy4Y8slrD3oJna7f2rqoplqFzhd5JGrFl-Q73rLHYitgO1E0-uo_rGFhNt5jnw0ZL2aaq_rUrux2Di4VfnXCGEACzMLYKbDa0pG1m7OxsAfk6ItqPVPpz_ciW5J6OsP8XubWKhtN4m/s1600/28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUxmy4Y8slrD3oJna7f2rqoplqFzhd5JGrFl-Q73rLHYitgO1E0-uo_rGFhNt5jnw0ZL2aaq_rUrux2Di4VfnXCGEACzMLYKbDa0pG1m7OxsAfk6ItqPVPpz_ciW5J6OsP8XubWKhtN4m/s1600/28.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We made it back to the hotel right in time for dinner, which
we decided we would cook, out in the hotel courtyard… Call us ghetto, but we had just
bought a ton of fresh veggies and some tofu dogs in SLC and didn’t want them all to go to waste! We had a nice laugh about how ridiculous we
probably looked!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvCeWWHWZrhXSqvbOgN4tnkUgSzKxplLH_RcXARThJfGX4gWNg2ksZwRpC4aK20-QA9Z_MoHL3hYhACeRllb4Do_2jADg2yy5-NmP8nAwCz6tsr7vFiAXF3BOQc79o9sT0dXsyCpE3PQ9/s1600/29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvCeWWHWZrhXSqvbOgN4tnkUgSzKxplLH_RcXARThJfGX4gWNg2ksZwRpC4aK20-QA9Z_MoHL3hYhACeRllb4Do_2jADg2yy5-NmP8nAwCz6tsr7vFiAXF3BOQc79o9sT0dXsyCpE3PQ9/s1600/29.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For the record, I’m a little obsessed with organizing and love the little packets of spices I put together before we left Korea! No need to bring the ENTIRE bottle when you’re living out of a car for 2 months and space is extremely limited!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFt-6tS7N3cauyz2YOPJ9254x_Ma7YPWeswbXPbAnxRXkRPvoa-GSeWbxau8cReZUtEjf4S8iXQJDfXiZ7ZNJDJ9kIYhq1MfDs0fQeaJ8j9xcVl64mhedzXdayyRqyeBX5qjvTsxP8xUY/s1600/30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFt-6tS7N3cauyz2YOPJ9254x_Ma7YPWeswbXPbAnxRXkRPvoa-GSeWbxau8cReZUtEjf4S8iXQJDfXiZ7ZNJDJ9kIYhq1MfDs0fQeaJ8j9xcVl64mhedzXdayyRqyeBX5qjvTsxP8xUY/s1600/30.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
After dinner we decided to go over to the Snake River to check out the sunset. We were hoping to not have to hike through the wilderness to get there, but such is life - and off season!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tRehGociKzschVbRcbpZBAHMzUGIfR2L4_8I_ne5zoacdTCphAfs2WVEST4HRm0FfyXJkjNy4PkrxfS0X7SsGOr_2V6jqY_1aUXMyhTAusf3bbK6hfNh2O72wabiAgbRRvS9oMs5273r/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tRehGociKzschVbRcbpZBAHMzUGIfR2L4_8I_ne5zoacdTCphAfs2WVEST4HRm0FfyXJkjNy4PkrxfS0X7SsGOr_2V6jqY_1aUXMyhTAusf3bbK6hfNh2O72wabiAgbRRvS9oMs5273r/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
As it turned out, it was one of the more beautiful adventures we've had thus far on the trip! There was even a group of deer to the left, walking along side us towards the river.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzS9RXneOTV7s9zZP21I2QNrBC5IsVpzjPPCBtabyX43ZGw_6qidHEyLgIv8fF_mQg2KWVnBBt_KwLXjiYb3-Khg0fAq7nUWrnidB76dndUfDmRxcrzU4eQ01XA-3hq36l1usYPz41-ZI/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzS9RXneOTV7s9zZP21I2QNrBC5IsVpzjPPCBtabyX43ZGw_6qidHEyLgIv8fF_mQg2KWVnBBt_KwLXjiYb3-Khg0fAq7nUWrnidB76dndUfDmRxcrzU4eQ01XA-3hq36l1usYPz41-ZI/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Earlier this week, Aaron had told me about how he would throw Buffalo "dong" like frisbees when he was little! I made him prove it!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfO4Qj-3lX0aO7GWHbEqgv0C0lzt88GCsqWGmiwD7Lw7tZNdzCB56tphoDVwVu9LKqw2xaQvt7DH1fquzIGjxj1aV8yhuBt9ZLrc8A1jwjT1JrfFlcHZSed_wxLE2JWMQAnWdXfTIYHrSz/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfO4Qj-3lX0aO7GWHbEqgv0C0lzt88GCsqWGmiwD7Lw7tZNdzCB56tphoDVwVu9LKqw2xaQvt7DH1fquzIGjxj1aV8yhuBt9ZLrc8A1jwjT1JrfFlcHZSed_wxLE2JWMQAnWdXfTIYHrSz/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We walked through the forest for a good mile or so before we reached this AMAZING spot to watch the sunset over the Teton Mountain range, along the river! I was in awe the whole time! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBFqjvioCjaBdGJHqJHKOxn4MLE4KVYALuuH7SkbVmimDJoyspFKa90iVfHU8pj2HRRkPVzqu0rAqvJ2hs5FT6Zf7qW13CMzCRDad3rnrpSFW9Cbc1MGw3QAq97HwNa21TlfmE3NxzGVX/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBFqjvioCjaBdGJHqJHKOxn4MLE4KVYALuuH7SkbVmimDJoyspFKa90iVfHU8pj2HRRkPVzqu0rAqvJ2hs5FT6Zf7qW13CMzCRDad3rnrpSFW9Cbc1MGw3QAq97HwNa21TlfmE3NxzGVX/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm pretty sure this is one of the most amazing spots I've ever seen the sun set! We literally watched it until the sun was completely gone and had to walk back to the car in the dark - and YES, it was SCARY, but worth it!!!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQqggdkd5Kzsk7wFVaHTfOg9nAGfcS-XakMT3C5skLUYSy-MkPgBK7UDp4f15kUVxVhxdDwOglJAkfOsj7T_-lVWw_D9ND3h6whhiGbxXkrjp6Dl4yjzPpKKidu-bMy-P8Awz-i4MD5Ve/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2+vert-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQqggdkd5Kzsk7wFVaHTfOg9nAGfcS-XakMT3C5skLUYSy-MkPgBK7UDp4f15kUVxVhxdDwOglJAkfOsj7T_-lVWw_D9ND3h6whhiGbxXkrjp6Dl4yjzPpKKidu-bMy-P8Awz-i4MD5Ve/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2+vert-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We knew that tonight would be our last night in Jackson, so we stopped in the town square to walk around downtown one last time before bidding farewell!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGkoJD5C_xA7O0qLCbBwwajZNzII6k9WNqbvw9fZHtcyj1eOBME1QQ58BtGzQPt0mW4j_t8dXj5Nzf9O3HgtbvZGGLZh3VbFo0EDSa-gVxpoZ8_RTwy3E5zpPdJAs7Vl8xlhANqHsMKNi/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGkoJD5C_xA7O0qLCbBwwajZNzII6k9WNqbvw9fZHtcyj1eOBME1QQ58BtGzQPt0mW4j_t8dXj5Nzf9O3HgtbvZGGLZh3VbFo0EDSa-gVxpoZ8_RTwy3E5zpPdJAs7Vl8xlhANqHsMKNi/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNaWoy87-NBoSF3eEVKBJ8ePLJrVHqx2Dq8Cn3M2R00OB-tteHhBpLIO3Elpz6W_6p2aQ3z9_5BFV3gmdK54qN0InSQr8-acdlw_QKErX9DEKX9BLvfsbxy0OVK-mHuT_h6eliUu1JrnL/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNaWoy87-NBoSF3eEVKBJ8ePLJrVHqx2Dq8Cn3M2R00OB-tteHhBpLIO3Elpz6W_6p2aQ3z9_5BFV3gmdK54qN0InSQr8-acdlw_QKErX9DEKX9BLvfsbxy0OVK-mHuT_h6eliUu1JrnL/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-7.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
People rave about the shopping in Jackson Hole, but unless you're looking for a touristy shirt or cowboy gear, it's really better for window shopping, which is fine with me!</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1UDIPj5wv4AZl9MoMwqJA17_ehOl416lNatzWdbOWoLTIRE5afyfVTQ6SIcmq2z_80GRbHK6OjMJz-SstrwBPBBZ_J9MQNhhi4LQIpxxg1qf-eKPZ7y_cRCZkP-VZBp9s0032-cizi5-/s1600/Grand+Tetons+windows-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1UDIPj5wv4AZl9MoMwqJA17_ehOl416lNatzWdbOWoLTIRE5afyfVTQ6SIcmq2z_80GRbHK6OjMJz-SstrwBPBBZ_J9MQNhhi4LQIpxxg1qf-eKPZ7y_cRCZkP-VZBp9s0032-cizi5-/s1600/Grand+Tetons+windows-1.jpg" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBHd0QH9w7jDDhxwx7ItLQywxg1STf8skihk5GSvVwQTnbvTnQGF9HZBOjMDx2vDkxjIYljazPTuRVQKyyXwQXnBpV6ZUpKwCVRUU946DbD5jNMSPBvuPUjOTuVuG-e6CKLvG5sJJjemb/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBHd0QH9w7jDDhxwx7ItLQywxg1STf8skihk5GSvVwQTnbvTnQGF9HZBOjMDx2vDkxjIYljazPTuRVQKyyXwQXnBpV6ZUpKwCVRUU946DbD5jNMSPBvuPUjOTuVuG-e6CKLvG5sJJjemb/s1600/Grand+Tetons+2-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We're pretty bummed about having to say goodbye to Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons, but tomorrow we're heading 200 miles north to go camping in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming & Montana... and hopefully we'll spot a bear! A girl can hope, right?! </div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com8Jackson, WY, USA43.4799291 -110.7624281999999943.4338376 -110.84310919999999 43.5260206 -110.68174719999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-21953954491516167752013-05-08T22:00:00.000-07:002013-05-11T14:56:27.540-07:00"A d.i.y. Dream!"<div style="text-align: center;">
Our amazing wedding photographer and friend, Bri Moore, just informed us that our wedding is featured in Smitten Magazine! In less than 2 months, A and I will be coming up on our 1 year wedding anniversary! Seems like yesterday that I was crafting away and planning for this fun day and now I'm so excited that someone thought it was worthy to be featured! Check the icon to see the whole deal! :)</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smitten-mag.com/jill-aaron-a-diy-dream/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKjjpcV2r6aPSs8xqFAF0t2Ioq7XLZVkxkjXfLh1-jnMs24Qq6PBDZLuIhetJzT0DjvXX_lMa-SJTXxNX05HNpMuSSvgpE11etb4lAOS9hgPGZS8E2wH8bYeafjjzz1xRtRIsJo6jqGQh/s400/smitten.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-45285929686059031192013-05-06T21:00:00.000-07:002013-05-07T20:11:20.004-07:00Salt Lake City, Utah!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Aaron and I had the best time in Salt Lake City! We caught ourselves saying, over and over again, "I could totally live here!" Granted, we weren't there during the snowy winter, but the gorgeous temple and churches, old historic neighborhoods, charming cafes and restaurants, and incredible scenery were enough to blind us for a moment into thinking it was a place we'd love to live!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The first night in SLC, we drove downtown to have dinner at a Korean restaurant where our "go to" Dolsut Bibimbap was 3x's more expensive than it was in Korea, but thankfully just as delicious! Then we headed over to check out a Bee's game... (They're the triple A team affiliated with the Anaheim Angels!) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRA_z8h4QHphgm4E2W0v8pqDIThceldCSOJ1uFcHq5tc7fquaVUZrYP2OHM-DYMCceGtoGD24l8XZ9exzP0yhyphenhyphen9q0GFpwND4JTCisSoJuGOdhrw5SV63D2DEDkOYWGPg2h3Qno9G-Y-XBi/s1600/Bees+game+horiz-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRA_z8h4QHphgm4E2W0v8pqDIThceldCSOJ1uFcHq5tc7fquaVUZrYP2OHM-DYMCceGtoGD24l8XZ9exzP0yhyphenhyphen9q0GFpwND4JTCisSoJuGOdhrw5SV63D2DEDkOYWGPg2h3Qno9G-Y-XBi/s1600/Bees+game+horiz-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We got to the stadium and found FREE parking on the street (YAY!) and then scalped 2 lawn tickets for $8.00 each and grabbed a seat in the outfield lawn area! But, we didn't stay for long. I thought we could somehow finagle our way through the stands and find a seat behind home base, and sure enough, we did!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWu18hZ2A4JxLtD8gskiNJWC04rSYLvhymsOz8DT5C14QKWsuI9EsneJynDFjdbM7BwKb8KqhtqB3fR3s76vGziwauONWKkmzY2ouEgZUZc3i7RI7QLa9JBmytaJneH02MYRkOXUJEZSi/s1600/Bees+game+horiz-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWu18hZ2A4JxLtD8gskiNJWC04rSYLvhymsOz8DT5C14QKWsuI9EsneJynDFjdbM7BwKb8KqhtqB3fR3s76vGziwauONWKkmzY2ouEgZUZc3i7RI7QLa9JBmytaJneH02MYRkOXUJEZSi/s1600/Bees+game+horiz-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Thankfully it was a <i>slow fan night</i>, so we were able to grab a seat without showing our tickets! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(YAY again!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmrFSmww5pLPEfBgBFc8E2tC9GMDID-pbI74E43Nj8c-9eToZ09DwADipTzrjpvDXFRJDP-gZibDb2F77iNipuS17VZa4_naAxJ2pZ78pvn0Bom1l-ezIf6hS-mgPg1eTQGfdkJQI63SS/s1600/Bees+game-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmrFSmww5pLPEfBgBFc8E2tC9GMDID-pbI74E43Nj8c-9eToZ09DwADipTzrjpvDXFRJDP-gZibDb2F77iNipuS17VZa4_naAxJ2pZ78pvn0Bom1l-ezIf6hS-mgPg1eTQGfdkJQI63SS/s1600/Bees+game-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It was almost as if we had the place to ourselves... except for the guy behind us who was the spitting image (audibly) of Forest Gump! He'd yell all of the calls out after they happened. "That's a faaaaaaaauuuullll ball folks!" If it weren't so annoying it would have actually been pretty funny! I guess that's our Karma for sitting in a section we didn't pay for, right?! haha</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmEmY1byVurTX_ZUtbBHTRFSlizvrp3YqbwfOV438Ubc-Qkc-upzXDmBIbtcXZWSsCTfKookIHG39OZiIFuTa46pEAlOf7g7m0Ni2PXW6CpdsCNpQquuxqgQuGVj7YaHAD2vzDg8w_wfi/s1600/Bees+game+horiz-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmEmY1byVurTX_ZUtbBHTRFSlizvrp3YqbwfOV438Ubc-Qkc-upzXDmBIbtcXZWSsCTfKookIHG39OZiIFuTa46pEAlOf7g7m0Ni2PXW6CpdsCNpQquuxqgQuGVj7YaHAD2vzDg8w_wfi/s1600/Bees+game+horiz-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
One of the things we loved so much about SLC was how people were out and about walking and riding bikes everywhere! It's a very outdoor friendly community! We loved that they had these little orange flags at every crosswalk for people to hold up as they cross the street! lol</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyLjsdMZ3ZcDlO2y3L0E0nMt6_QyL-HjdHfnRS9QShyhX0m84Im_Ncd3C9Kil3Vx7ju3GK6DWTDSGCsUoWEW84_OFT-pifb7-K_PgTqITZiM09JKaSVmO_IJjc8GSDeO_pNVQGlpRTyOm/s1600/SLC+vert-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyLjsdMZ3ZcDlO2y3L0E0nMt6_QyL-HjdHfnRS9QShyhX0m84Im_Ncd3C9Kil3Vx7ju3GK6DWTDSGCsUoWEW84_OFT-pifb7-K_PgTqITZiM09JKaSVmO_IJjc8GSDeO_pNVQGlpRTyOm/s1600/SLC+vert-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The next day we checked out some of the sights in Salt Lake...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The Governors Mansion (and yes, he actually lives here!):</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvZao4w6RkasKDnNSb-kJKBHW8ohBY75Mree6Ksf-u30TnglTtFwAo_H3mLgznZavP1uHKoAS4ScvcRvgfT56gX7lNjogytGPrx26KHZenLmPUd6PVvSBvZKUI2OXwpjmDSC-XEIMbXie/s1600/SLC-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvZao4w6RkasKDnNSb-kJKBHW8ohBY75Mree6Ksf-u30TnglTtFwAo_H3mLgznZavP1uHKoAS4ScvcRvgfT56gX7lNjogytGPrx26KHZenLmPUd6PVvSBvZKUI2OXwpjmDSC-XEIMbXie/s1600/SLC-8.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The Avenues and Sugar House historic neighborhoods:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJuyVXNNno1s171LndcZ0pvBhpD2B2o3qCa0S57OCNiQD52R1qQzVdVricBmJvc3moYKGMthri9V91Ob_EwOONswkkhZjICfPlgLs1kHnvdZ66OzvO9D81fEU3AOQcOEIu2qosoZaeNLKD/s1600/SLC-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJuyVXNNno1s171LndcZ0pvBhpD2B2o3qCa0S57OCNiQD52R1qQzVdVricBmJvc3moYKGMthri9V91Ob_EwOONswkkhZjICfPlgLs1kHnvdZ66OzvO9D81fEU3AOQcOEIu2qosoZaeNLKD/s1600/SLC-9.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The Salt Lake city and county building:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK69mi1P8pxOl-FKkxY9nz-FupoB-C5ZSPSuNcetuL-DBQ5mBOg_1rTnMP2RSOx0LrPW0ZwACggmw9FuGE6xoEiAZbbLDvqFiZfBsUC3uksoCFAKzK0_tZD75Jne8mijQOtJ48w8ZeG7Tu/s1600/SLC-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK69mi1P8pxOl-FKkxY9nz-FupoB-C5ZSPSuNcetuL-DBQ5mBOg_1rTnMP2RSOx0LrPW0ZwACggmw9FuGE6xoEiAZbbLDvqFiZfBsUC3uksoCFAKzK0_tZD75Jne8mijQOtJ48w8ZeG7Tu/s1600/SLC-7.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
...and the stunning buildings, temples and blooming tulips located in Temple Square! Mind you, these were taken without a tripod... Not too shabby for steadying it on A's back! lol</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyu3D5boYpofZ-Pj7kPgnznRsAJm1KjwTMrB2C0fD1OuNogDACJRGTqrQWf_442RsyHPFvand132eNwd7kS32f3geGyP-OtoIMg7bz1GhN_D0mpkezyN2lgg0AlNecoOB5Gfo7MNeydyrT/s1600/SLC+vert-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyu3D5boYpofZ-Pj7kPgnznRsAJm1KjwTMrB2C0fD1OuNogDACJRGTqrQWf_442RsyHPFvand132eNwd7kS32f3geGyP-OtoIMg7bz1GhN_D0mpkezyN2lgg0AlNecoOB5Gfo7MNeydyrT/s1600/SLC+vert-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rhnD4ZGU281jjrC7cyzE5fIHMHcNy8RbjIwh1wFoD0ZLhoXi6rlFS1mrrnADRj-VTf2YiFi1mk3nQVwxLu4DUytHv9GGgUWWhfspGLzEfNP9En0ppIXtJdfNhR1GYwqdtbyDiDInt0oR/s1600/SLC-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rhnD4ZGU281jjrC7cyzE5fIHMHcNy8RbjIwh1wFoD0ZLhoXi6rlFS1mrrnADRj-VTf2YiFi1mk3nQVwxLu4DUytHv9GGgUWWhfspGLzEfNP9En0ppIXtJdfNhR1GYwqdtbyDiDInt0oR/s1600/SLC-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8cLrGh88fTga6nL-cC_kMMqPQTJd7R2MXZppq9RNwX_s7Yk11O0P2pYj5SQFhcNsFWrR4bG6rdrQs9rHFK8oxY_fd7zaauKn91eOAsFWYQVVJgBqbdWocGeqb7u07SnThjMxgVZzCsQe/s1600/SLC-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8cLrGh88fTga6nL-cC_kMMqPQTJd7R2MXZppq9RNwX_s7Yk11O0P2pYj5SQFhcNsFWrR4bG6rdrQs9rHFK8oxY_fd7zaauKn91eOAsFWYQVVJgBqbdWocGeqb7u07SnThjMxgVZzCsQe/s1600/SLC-3.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The coolest thing happened as we were heading towards SLC. I got a comment on my blog from a woman who'd been reading along since the very beginning! Her message began with, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;"><i>"So....this is probably one of the strangest things I've ever done in my life but here goes.... </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;"><i>IF you are still in Utah (I noted that these are post-dated a bit) </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">and IF you are heading north of Bryce Canyon </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">up toward Salt Lake City </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;"><i>and IF you aren't totally freaked out by the thought of having dinner</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;"><i>with a family of total strangers who have read your blog religiously</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;"><i>for years then I thought I'd invite you and Aaron to dinner at our house."</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How awesome is that?! We were in, immediately! Any chance to actually meet someone who's been reading my story is an honor! So, on our second day in SLC, Aaron and I drove over to meet her and her adorable 2 kiddos and very sweet husband for dinner! We had the best time getting to know each other <i>in person</i>! Thank you S!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMg8a2jIicS_Nq55SfpXPED0psE9gymDHa5EFH2Fkd3WOQJi4QvpfxFZQ5q40eqyAkiqHnP3fTPYGazXWlIlK2mhINHjhyphenhyphenfizJxY7jKY0sFNK2-jL-_L6sKgbAg-S2rP-dtBWzxeuasKf/s1600/SLC-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMg8a2jIicS_Nq55SfpXPED0psE9gymDHa5EFH2Fkd3WOQJi4QvpfxFZQ5q40eqyAkiqHnP3fTPYGazXWlIlK2mhINHjhyphenhyphenfizJxY7jKY0sFNK2-jL-_L6sKgbAg-S2rP-dtBWzxeuasKf/s1600/SLC-12.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The next morning, and our last... we had breakfast with Steve and Sharon (our bed and breakfast hosts) and then packed the car and headed to <a href="http://hatchfamilychocolates.com/" target="_blank">Hatch Family Chocolates</a>, recommended by my old high school friend Chelsey who used to live 1 block away from where we were staying! It was the best recommendation of our entire stay in SLC!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpD8szFkraHkmEA79pxetmHXd5lkN4pORimRaRzj6aZ_tGudR69BY-BBv4oxGLOx4NNMvSXlEoVtGvrY28diEaCb1iwh9qDjVafnbWt3U9de04C9UMn2CsxJdyKtZWE6yXS0Tcr7GWR80/s1600/SLC-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpD8szFkraHkmEA79pxetmHXd5lkN4pORimRaRzj6aZ_tGudR69BY-BBv4oxGLOx4NNMvSXlEoVtGvrY28diEaCb1iwh9qDjVafnbWt3U9de04C9UMn2CsxJdyKtZWE6yXS0Tcr7GWR80/s1600/SLC-10.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 rice crispy with marshmallow, caramel and chocolate will do just fine, thank you!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEC15S-iCPV-qQTnqJfLrpQobRZI2KVD4ebPFCj96K9qaxQnUqhwVa90_0YvR5C0wp4agLB9cOYjMSQW2UTC_MwsVBsqKxMWlnPl0NN7rMSz3ECvkEVRGH38ShVbXF-MiY1w5dP9bpwum/s1600/SLC-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEC15S-iCPV-qQTnqJfLrpQobRZI2KVD4ebPFCj96K9qaxQnUqhwVa90_0YvR5C0wp4agLB9cOYjMSQW2UTC_MwsVBsqKxMWlnPl0NN7rMSz3ECvkEVRGH38ShVbXF-MiY1w5dP9bpwum/s1600/SLC-11.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We hated to say goodbye to SLC, but alas, it was time to head north to Idaho...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1gNAn23whphdt4GRnzZbUL-0BKRUhxxDfVAvz0nC2-o3RUeRR6KJ9pEwiXIq3EG2c3QqhADRRKMEXf3FaNzuH7tzuoZZVlhQMHPDTAi8huYvBMd7a4Rv6STfMTajwXFN8SFvHKzgJQ-3/s1600/SLC-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1gNAn23whphdt4GRnzZbUL-0BKRUhxxDfVAvz0nC2-o3RUeRR6KJ9pEwiXIq3EG2c3QqhADRRKMEXf3FaNzuH7tzuoZZVlhQMHPDTAi8huYvBMd7a4Rv6STfMTajwXFN8SFvHKzgJQ-3/s1600/SLC-16.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
... where we stopped the car to watch 3 shepherds, 2 horses, and 8 dogs round up and herd a thousand, if not more, sheep! It was pretty incredible to watch the whole operation! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIswHW1d6Pl-KkWelsJtZoTSHPWLhQb7zjbegeh-oB2NqP7zP-iCHwwWVrMwbzS4DqUEZCWw9r5CtIt2HP5ssksMTtcmXmq3lAUM-wiySKFOUABs0jidUJiBoU86uQIoU0rJy9SNm0BBx3/s1600/SLC-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIswHW1d6Pl-KkWelsJtZoTSHPWLhQb7zjbegeh-oB2NqP7zP-iCHwwWVrMwbzS4DqUEZCWw9r5CtIt2HP5ssksMTtcmXmq3lAUM-wiySKFOUABs0jidUJiBoU86uQIoU0rJy9SNm0BBx3/s1600/SLC-14.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
...and then on to Wyoming, which is holy crap, AMAZING! I love it, love it, love it here!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPfMrSgovNFyVvw2g1_GV54KkMPjCkFA8msk8IhT769YQHM6af0kWTDZbMIbqAGIcZPZ43dLAfTiylqjOW_2TV0GT83FM-atcG1cSzISKeUMOzq2Sx6Z_1bVIOxcJFsYLPj4qDCK5LMIK/s1600/SLC-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPfMrSgovNFyVvw2g1_GV54KkMPjCkFA8msk8IhT769YQHM6af0kWTDZbMIbqAGIcZPZ43dLAfTiylqjOW_2TV0GT83FM-atcG1cSzISKeUMOzq2Sx6Z_1bVIOxcJFsYLPj4qDCK5LMIK/s1600/SLC-18.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We made it to <a href="http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/" target="_blank">Jackson Hole, Wyoming</a> around 8pm, in the pouring rain, which botched our camping idea! But, we found <a href="http://www.townsquareinns.com/antler-inn/" target="_blank">a great hotel</a> right in the center of town and checked in for the night at $72, threw on our PJ's, switched on the heater and ordered some pizza, which was a perfect consolation!</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-48436307554517238182013-05-05T20:24:00.000-07:002013-05-06T20:27:30.215-07:00The Big Blue House!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As we were on our way from Canyonlands to Salt Lake City, Utah, we had a conversation about where we would stay once we got to the city. We have friends who've had AWESOME experiences using <a href="http://www.airbnb.com/">www.AirBnB.com</a>, a website where people list rooms for rent in their homes, so we decided we'd look into it, and boy am I glad we did, because we ended up <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/318758" target="_blank">renting a room here</a>, at this gorgeous 1903 fully restored historic home, minutes from Temple Square in the heart of Salt Lake City!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8dXGPb8udUEfXd4iISMeJyBNgyPzlbYQlr_mel_CTKQXft2cqQa2je9lyEOP7wLpvtuD2JA7I65AHUJtgWtP102pqGNZnMahQg9XW9dol4rakBRuqq-CUTXCNNz4osoRFmpOAIOMG25Qr/s1600/SLC+blue+house-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8dXGPb8udUEfXd4iISMeJyBNgyPzlbYQlr_mel_CTKQXft2cqQa2je9lyEOP7wLpvtuD2JA7I65AHUJtgWtP102pqGNZnMahQg9XW9dol4rakBRuqq-CUTXCNNz4osoRFmpOAIOMG25Qr/s1600/SLC+blue+house-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The couple who own the house were soooo welcoming to Aaron and I! It was our first time doing something like this and weren't sure what to expect... but the BEST hosts! We sat around together talking about travel, life, careers, photography, family, dogs you name it! They welcomed us into their home as if we were their own kids, which was so special! The wife, Sharon, loves to garden and has beautiful flowers growing up the side of her home!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_U3VUDDlgjd87RfG5wPeGQTIATJ1xMpq4cWt9-6CL8RODnVK7HWZJk6ql8SWc6JatP9tSa3qhZlom1YQEp1fJ6LNRY5X_vAIdL2yGW3p37d6EF2o5x_dBJGCDc_dfcPDPQ_KkEcVtKOhK/s1600/SLC+blue+house+vert-4+diptich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="477" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_U3VUDDlgjd87RfG5wPeGQTIATJ1xMpq4cWt9-6CL8RODnVK7HWZJk6ql8SWc6JatP9tSa3qhZlom1YQEp1fJ6LNRY5X_vAIdL2yGW3p37d6EF2o5x_dBJGCDc_dfcPDPQ_KkEcVtKOhK/s640/SLC+blue+house+vert-4+diptich.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Okay, so here's the tour! First of all, this house used to be divided into 7 different apartments at one point in time - SEVEN! When the two of them bought it in 2010 it was bare bones and was actually in the process of being restored... but everything you see from now on is ALL THEM! They chose every single detail of the home and I was IN LOVE! I sat here, on this couch quite a bit, blogging and catching up on e-mails with Aaron and even tried my hand at the piano a few time! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjq1GGjfYHRvrxrsXLv5nWY7XEAMJATHfOMtA1bVWRZZbiSrR_wv1aMNl0s68UcYPUfpsBiv4VHHbmVbflqSm0xRQT1m2KjU9ACCMVsvpkBN7NoRQrVai3RvA8_MIUAmumCEifd3GRJ4m/s1600/SLC+blue+house-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjq1GGjfYHRvrxrsXLv5nWY7XEAMJATHfOMtA1bVWRZZbiSrR_wv1aMNl0s68UcYPUfpsBiv4VHHbmVbflqSm0xRQT1m2KjU9ACCMVsvpkBN7NoRQrVai3RvA8_MIUAmumCEifd3GRJ4m/s1600/SLC+blue+house-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAh1sTzxr7P9iYX0QRcNI4-70T17pcD3KuXsbVmAfazD8iSIt2AWH7NRvHZEjkNI_l6RCadxSXkYVDHZvJ2BaqK8fmDGoK3fCzlEGQvMmzKwchN7h-zyM4QWRS8HxrrtqCZqazonVs6Aj/s1600/SLC+blue+house-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAh1sTzxr7P9iYX0QRcNI4-70T17pcD3KuXsbVmAfazD8iSIt2AWH7NRvHZEjkNI_l6RCadxSXkYVDHZvJ2BaqK8fmDGoK3fCzlEGQvMmzKwchN7h-zyM4QWRS8HxrrtqCZqazonVs6Aj/s1600/SLC+blue+house-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMI3h1iXuJMuLh4tS1dqNd8CrpnVeiGRz35xHLK9oQQkVqQozi9IxwfTMSvsZe-oZg5HtYd2bnlMnrFXupbFG0YFyOg1NqbxeAz629z8ToGdJIs_XMawn96a1y0PF5Ng-RuRUVOBWilES/s1600/SLC+blue+house-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMI3h1iXuJMuLh4tS1dqNd8CrpnVeiGRz35xHLK9oQQkVqQozi9IxwfTMSvsZe-oZg5HtYd2bnlMnrFXupbFG0YFyOg1NqbxeAz629z8ToGdJIs_XMawn96a1y0PF5Ng-RuRUVOBWilES/s1600/SLC+blue+house-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This staircase was probably my favorite part of the whole house! At the middle, just past Cleo the cat, it splits and curves to the right and the left, depending on which direction you wanna go! :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggevJGX01Cbkqt3D3jPBRIjujRluPlrkOQ0LXsnEJxqoRLQXnzK0CjUTvT5tar7mXl3w9AeHZlx2YQU4zqp-_y3gUqY9n_fUFbid3UWJHqxp0wyd7A4ZN6cPpv7zH2URYXL0WT9bDHIImr/s1600/SLC+blue+house+vert-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggevJGX01Cbkqt3D3jPBRIjujRluPlrkOQ0LXsnEJxqoRLQXnzK0CjUTvT5tar7mXl3w9AeHZlx2YQU4zqp-_y3gUqY9n_fUFbid3UWJHqxp0wyd7A4ZN6cPpv7zH2URYXL0WT9bDHIImr/s1600/SLC+blue+house+vert-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... and here's our room - "The Big Room", as they call it! They actually have 2 different bedrooms available on <a href="http://www.airbnb.com/">www.AirBnB.com</a> on the 2nd floor, and we had actually rented the smaller one for $50 a night, but when we got there she upgraded us to the big one ($65 a night), for free, because no one had booked it yet - SCORE FOR US!</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOoWQqMdka9IJxR_lNv-nxElG9PSQcruZJtPZfucNCbbrYYUmvj_w-kkmNltHA2_q-CgrerQIioFK4yzqBO3oxm-TutKfoi2Wu3xoGiD7bE-vNGnPXGFrugHzf561OABeh6JYGx5Yg2Y2i/s1600/SLC+blue+house-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOoWQqMdka9IJxR_lNv-nxElG9PSQcruZJtPZfucNCbbrYYUmvj_w-kkmNltHA2_q-CgrerQIioFK4yzqBO3oxm-TutKfoi2Wu3xoGiD7bE-vNGnPXGFrugHzf561OABeh6JYGx5Yg2Y2i/s1600/SLC+blue+house-4.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Not only was the bed THE MOST COMFORTABLE bed we'd slept on in 5 years, the balcony was HUGE with a perfect view of the mountains, there were two white hotel robes hanging in the closet for us, Cleo (their kitty) hung out on the bed with us both nights, there was a giant flat screen TV, and there was a full coffee bar set up on our dresser! I felt like we were in a 5 star resort!</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkggw4c6mbutW0IX1ypdON8Ox-eaWIWBY-Ec-o2PF3DOFvgyTFGgK3jNuFjc_FinaIOimWph5i6N2E_Kkm_5thyphenhyphen91q-tTx07948Y7APME-Bye8jUNuhQOnGgKLC1QJdFn07uMbhzU6DJ1/s1600/SLC+blue+house-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkggw4c6mbutW0IX1ypdON8Ox-eaWIWBY-Ec-o2PF3DOFvgyTFGgK3jNuFjc_FinaIOimWph5i6N2E_Kkm_5thyphenhyphen91q-tTx07948Y7APME-Bye8jUNuhQOnGgKLC1QJdFn07uMbhzU6DJ1/s1600/SLC+blue+house-5.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksWbriumuwbG5udbkL485u2Zj88NlptPcxgflxKSVEi8k7uArHhZTv2zRgfZZ73f05Oc2E8wDT1PmTYg3JLPQDTcgq1gGO7T_pKetV45AXAxtakY2ZHN3Z1BHoNzdz8b54Pibjygktf9q/s1600/SLC+blue+house+vert-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksWbriumuwbG5udbkL485u2Zj88NlptPcxgflxKSVEi8k7uArHhZTv2zRgfZZ73f05Oc2E8wDT1PmTYg3JLPQDTcgq1gGO7T_pKetV45AXAxtakY2ZHN3Z1BHoNzdz8b54Pibjygktf9q/s1600/SLC+blue+house+vert-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The bathroom was spacious, clean, and stocked with fancy shampoo, conditioner, hand wash, lotion and even a hair dryer! Sharon didn't forget ANY details when she designed this bathroom for her house guests!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO88LyfGINtPqym2es9cP8El5TehhPWdIdZG_8MkqgoCgUZb-I_Zo55Mp0lShLkXcmRp_n-qA2EMWWYZ24Nqb0vL_BrMfmzPU4QBrZIcjYZtC9dSlKIbAZRQKwtpBJHAylGtsEHSboTJ0_/s1600/SLC+blue+house+vert-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO88LyfGINtPqym2es9cP8El5TehhPWdIdZG_8MkqgoCgUZb-I_Zo55Mp0lShLkXcmRp_n-qA2EMWWYZ24Nqb0vL_BrMfmzPU4QBrZIcjYZtC9dSlKIbAZRQKwtpBJHAylGtsEHSboTJ0_/s1600/SLC+blue+house+vert-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As if that wasn't enough, Sharon laid out a FULL breakfast for us every morning: artisan bagels, fresh fruits, homemade zuchinni bread, fresh orange juice, yummy coffee and tea, and delicious granola! They actually both sat with us for breakfast both mornings, which we loved (traveling can be lonely sometimes)!!! They were such a neat couple! I'm kicking myself that I didn't get a photo of them to post!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJ6H2COfUC6rgcHAHEVCl8bOENza-KRpNUsATPQz6Vn3yxKjM-9bXVHe3odWMWgNJ9fnTQMEiY1bBrmB4tqn2i4LPs_8uCmNbsXkM8k9sJqCeyMckaq4AkxToetqsxBuHGHc5fTvreWBs/s1600/SLC-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJ6H2COfUC6rgcHAHEVCl8bOENza-KRpNUsATPQz6Vn3yxKjM-9bXVHe3odWMWgNJ9fnTQMEiY1bBrmB4tqn2i4LPs_8uCmNbsXkM8k9sJqCeyMckaq4AkxToetqsxBuHGHc5fTvreWBs/s1600/SLC-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Oh, and I can't possibly leave out Fenix! He's the sweetest old lab, who I just absolutely adored!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIiDoJN1D11lLEtYOkyjEDBiBnjhbJNR-msJfMypxHe4Kq-lQ2aMLXcl7hj2nqpqLZBTERhghObl3LDRG2uKymZdIG4x41SshISYJLVZN-199wmjicL1oY55WmrNNhtCqJqbhPZRYLJd0/s1600/SLC-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIiDoJN1D11lLEtYOkyjEDBiBnjhbJNR-msJfMypxHe4Kq-lQ2aMLXcl7hj2nqpqLZBTERhghObl3LDRG2uKymZdIG4x41SshISYJLVZN-199wmjicL1oY55WmrNNhtCqJqbhPZRYLJd0/s1600/SLC-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'll get to more of what we did in Salt Lake in my next posts... I just thought this place was too awesome not to have it's own post!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Thanks again Sharon and Steve... and <a href="http://www.airbnb.com/" target="_blank">AirBnb</a>!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-35330139142567486532013-05-05T10:32:00.001-07:002013-05-05T10:32:57.369-07:00Family photo shoot!<div style="text-align: center;">
While we were in Arizona last week, we had the opportunity to shoot a family session with one of our favorite lifestyle photographers, Andrew, from <a href="http://andrewjadephoto.com/" target="_blank">Andrew Jade Photography</a>!!</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://aaronnicholasphoto.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-black-family.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RA8x5u1zoTUSmq4AthlSaSZoYBXnNCEQT2mHeD0bFxwsP9g-T87tNZLVf01viPlN-etxpCSJwU1aDLg_y9Nh2-M1I3D0CZLkSUqQmhavB0DbnVE2-A2ftTw8PgYoR5_ujX6gtGY3g4cO/s640/click-here.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqU56mbqWPvcRdqiRB4Uv7xJFeJr-Lfyrxqplva7Vf7sVmbZ8-2N9a-fvuIoF_d9x9uadqiaH2A34Kor3uvHumZmzzSuwrWfuF7tYJB7TrxtsPwORkGwZVMItBtUfPBK9QDOdRpnIUzswW/s1600/Black+Family-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqU56mbqWPvcRdqiRB4Uv7xJFeJr-Lfyrxqplva7Vf7sVmbZ8-2N9a-fvuIoF_d9x9uadqiaH2A34Kor3uvHumZmzzSuwrWfuF7tYJB7TrxtsPwORkGwZVMItBtUfPBK9QDOdRpnIUzswW/s640/Black+Family-15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-71395022288933974032013-05-03T10:22:00.000-07:002013-05-05T10:23:32.020-07:00Arches National Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">We woke up with the sun (welcome to camping!), packed the 4runner and jumped on the HWY towards Arches National Park! To be honest, I think both of us were a little sick of camping and sleeping in cold tents and warming up with campfires and then SMELLING like campfires ALL DAY LONG, so we were hoping to find a cheap motel in Moab, Utah! Sadly, even the Motel 6 is $90 a night and we couldn't stay there anyway because it was fully booked! :( So, we drove around to all the different campgrounds and only found 1 available site... ONE, but it was right on the river! And, well, it was only kind of available. There was a handwritten sign on the front post that said, <i>"We'll share the site!"</i> Which, actually sounded like a nice idea... but we nixed it and decided to try and see all we could of Arches in one day, then drive over to Canyonlands National Park (about 35 miles East) and stay there for the night. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">So, we spent a couple hours in a cafe in downtown Moab, drinking coffee and catching up on e-mails!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">Then, around 4:00pm, we grabbed our cameras and took a little hike to see all the arches!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8E6ql6oJILdE55hyphenhyphenYV4uKkXnqNJlUM5tuKwuCN8qP0y3tBheKAOfDozMz-SBHXAyr4XQWwM3s5_sx0y0j2ZFErbif1odLgovCIdl14vy0x1_bA2jSGZbYf8H537qThVp6ajCNnzcQ7uc6/s1600/Arches+for+blog-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8E6ql6oJILdE55hyphenhyphenYV4uKkXnqNJlUM5tuKwuCN8qP0y3tBheKAOfDozMz-SBHXAyr4XQWwM3s5_sx0y0j2ZFErbif1odLgovCIdl14vy0x1_bA2jSGZbYf8H537qThVp6ajCNnzcQ7uc6/s1600/Arches+for+blog-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">We hiked over to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_Rock" target="_blank">Balanced Rock</a>, </span><span style="text-align: start;">North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch, all of which were equally incredible!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYZ_eElTRGMaje6o9gf7PrneoEYGGWSR1-TSjH2SuYYdcEocC0vnHx7Jcro-9MKZXL0fH_DrbmZzsuU_ddLIQyPxeY5UJFewwKRqVBMeNI0-8hYdCLWCX4RT8rSUwik7OAesqBORr_TrZ/s1600/rock-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYZ_eElTRGMaje6o9gf7PrneoEYGGWSR1-TSjH2SuYYdcEocC0vnHx7Jcro-9MKZXL0fH_DrbmZzsuU_ddLIQyPxeY5UJFewwKRqVBMeNI0-8hYdCLWCX4RT8rSUwik7OAesqBORr_TrZ/s1600/rock-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaACFkoM2wMK3uKCvCOVIrJrD1pz_37-L74YIJxtx0pMY_nCfxslQZW1vD9UvdwD18uXI9J71HRlipSa5Y7ORtbr1oMKknvC5rJqWuQ5JgEfgllcBERQgTWufzI3xxqzzgNP5pb_ymCEuv/s1600/Arches+for+blog-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaACFkoM2wMK3uKCvCOVIrJrD1pz_37-L74YIJxtx0pMY_nCfxslQZW1vD9UvdwD18uXI9J71HRlipSa5Y7ORtbr1oMKknvC5rJqWuQ5JgEfgllcBERQgTWufzI3xxqzzgNP5pb_ymCEuv/s1600/Arches+for+blog-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXj_0kA0Nl_bThxtZILNAyVoYWOvc2O0fftiMB7cbS5gDAHbvuQh-XXEniQ4GG14D214EMSyuONAbTUvaVvB5DyV3pBERGwAl4EQQnNYlFiaz4aMSzoqEwUWB69Zjs8gSyOvVUChHZOJ2/s1600/Arches+for+blog-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXj_0kA0Nl_bThxtZILNAyVoYWOvc2O0fftiMB7cbS5gDAHbvuQh-XXEniQ4GG14D214EMSyuONAbTUvaVvB5DyV3pBERGwAl4EQQnNYlFiaz4aMSzoqEwUWB69Zjs8gSyOvVUChHZOJ2/s1600/Arches+for+blog-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oaN5eALi4RFBvSp2qXSeLzAS4tNGZ_S1EbaGe2sUkjV8Zva2MOe6tHIgK_nqeFDxO0tLptSb9cYh-Slrl8RQkZYuqHoI7lmXoIBxBEsnYfhAuV-EFJsdQANVXP9zYTGzYpjMsZkQWya0/s1600/Arches+for+blog-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oaN5eALi4RFBvSp2qXSeLzAS4tNGZ_S1EbaGe2sUkjV8Zva2MOe6tHIgK_nqeFDxO0tLptSb9cYh-Slrl8RQkZYuqHoI7lmXoIBxBEsnYfhAuV-EFJsdQANVXP9zYTGzYpjMsZkQWya0/s1600/Arches+for+blog-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
After the sun went down, we made the trek over to Canyonlands National Park and spent the night, sleeping sitting up, in the front seats of the car (EEEkkkk!), and woke up at 5:30am to catch the sunrise at one of the most beautiful spots in Canyonlands. Sorry, there aren't any photos of that because I continued to sleep in the car while Aaron went out to watch the sunrise! :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Next stop is Salt Lake City, where we've booked 2 nights at a bed and breakfast in a restored 1903 home in a beautiful downtown neighborhood called The Avenues! We can't wait to have a REAL BED, a warm home, people to talk to (camping can get lonely), a yummy breakfast, a hot shower, and a new city to explore!</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-40338546144476736472013-05-01T13:27:00.000-07:002013-05-03T13:28:24.553-07:00Bryce Canyon National Park!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Have you ever been so cold you’d actually jump into a fire
to warm up?! That’s how it felt when we
pulled into Bryce Canyon National Park! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRwfrDt4VhufgDAnFJWaXqcvsZecGwQkwatwA_WGWuG5zf1re6Wyx3SD41v9ymdBwBvxGbPBLz3k14bJB1GOlUv4f6Rk5YTmEjUZtPl02Ek_CIFCiBApjpoKtFMUoQ1MhRxV7Aom3nrOU/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRwfrDt4VhufgDAnFJWaXqcvsZecGwQkwatwA_WGWuG5zf1re6Wyx3SD41v9ymdBwBvxGbPBLz3k14bJB1GOlUv4f6Rk5YTmEjUZtPl02Ek_CIFCiBApjpoKtFMUoQ1MhRxV7Aom3nrOU/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Buuurrrrrr! It was so cold that
we could barely pull ourselves out of the car to set up camp at North
Campground (site 60, AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME)! The back of our site actually backed up to
the canyon, with THIS view! Whew
Bryce! I’m in love!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYiFUDqQor1TC-RXubU60rDKVYladivl1bz_-XL1Z4FgMfyom3GIU6JcY5Y_y7Pm-mBk6VMNtEsgaCfCFz0y37RpMwD5Ws_u4nWistJXgrp5568nI_wi7_UYWO8esdD1lEyi-sKNof8i1/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYiFUDqQor1TC-RXubU60rDKVYladivl1bz_-XL1Z4FgMfyom3GIU6JcY5Y_y7Pm-mBk6VMNtEsgaCfCFz0y37RpMwD5Ws_u4nWistJXgrp5568nI_wi7_UYWO8esdD1lEyi-sKNof8i1/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Okay, I'm more in love with this guy... but you know what I mean!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbDlBvtUtHaNcmMFdB3BohoH0LiNMicTCcuhq6wyh9s8E0Dz_TBuyGRqOKGxcoYD7Po_y4MgLQZxaVBNYduDFNBmkv1fXDRS4ydhBsXewvq5HqyxwRYy4GvwKYXeJKg1K7qvSPT1leISu/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbDlBvtUtHaNcmMFdB3BohoH0LiNMicTCcuhq6wyh9s8E0Dz_TBuyGRqOKGxcoYD7Po_y4MgLQZxaVBNYduDFNBmkv1fXDRS4ydhBsXewvq5HqyxwRYy4GvwKYXeJKg1K7qvSPT1leISu/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-17.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
We went ahead and reserved our campsite by throwing $15 in an envelope and throwing it in a deposit box at the front of the campground, then drove into town for lunch and a chance to warm up! After lunch, we put our big kid pants on (and all the warm clothes we had, which wasn't much) and set off on the Queens Garden & Navajo Loop, a hike that descends 55 stories into the bottom of the canyon and then back up! Helloooooo leg workout! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpLshfGws-xd35h57J-2bn_Luqa5dc8vJ4Goy6O0LwskZ6C-u4NFI9UiUrTOitasSnpPsJTjEl4pNsdAhjdfYYDzNNjlagyThYCbJn2Fk0gsEjbDoe6z_tl2Zl0Y-w8Ib-radhXO7Z0TT/s1600/bryce+diptich+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpLshfGws-xd35h57J-2bn_Luqa5dc8vJ4Goy6O0LwskZ6C-u4NFI9UiUrTOitasSnpPsJTjEl4pNsdAhjdfYYDzNNjlagyThYCbJn2Fk0gsEjbDoe6z_tl2Zl0Y-w8Ib-radhXO7Z0TT/s640/bryce+diptich+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuKYvJFy3fz4X-Z_o9JMk2ZYI3sWFsYpdAjgLPPVJaexSUwuUfYSLEG1dhud50l2r5jmA_0UPLiwp4395X_iA8X0YrtAzE5YTN9PR53vC1pqNCuyaaGxwJ6ikRc7DCDdUXhNJTck2vJu4/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuKYvJFy3fz4X-Z_o9JMk2ZYI3sWFsYpdAjgLPPVJaexSUwuUfYSLEG1dhud50l2r5jmA_0UPLiwp4395X_iA8X0YrtAzE5YTN9PR53vC1pqNCuyaaGxwJ6ikRc7DCDdUXhNJTck2vJu4/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-9.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We started here at Sunrise Point, which as you can see was at 8015 ft above sea level. In case you're wondering, this wasn't great for my effort to attempt to appear super fit while climbing... I was panting like a parched dog most of the way! It's REALLY hard to breath at 8000 ft!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhvZajxgQ0NI7ZO-nuAoBJqfZtp_jI1xHWe8bB26tZGd_UaER25Y0V8vjyJbsYx4HUcmj9HFhyphenhyphen0A_l7gweIErqXSEE88Sppnut8xTXyLzuTDx4pLG8WWXsqtdHi9ETGH9k_Y5T181HYY3/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhvZajxgQ0NI7ZO-nuAoBJqfZtp_jI1xHWe8bB26tZGd_UaER25Y0V8vjyJbsYx4HUcmj9HFhyphenhyphen0A_l7gweIErqXSEE88Sppnut8xTXyLzuTDx4pLG8WWXsqtdHi9ETGH9k_Y5T181HYY3/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECmXrVcGn-qnr8iYVPTwr7WAELX5ajGTOxpPMsVaGZlSGvKWdq-lqOLaSNCZ0M4gD8VazXsj4q3qJeUXT9hlUh6VGn3Z6s8ya2PUhfsjeLLRo0ltKb3CdwBbWfOYTV_PpIFmZRtFPzNCj/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECmXrVcGn-qnr8iYVPTwr7WAELX5ajGTOxpPMsVaGZlSGvKWdq-lqOLaSNCZ0M4gD8VazXsj4q3qJeUXT9hlUh6VGn3Z6s8ya2PUhfsjeLLRo0ltKb3CdwBbWfOYTV_PpIFmZRtFPzNCj/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Besides the fact that I was panting, I did take in the beauty of the place, as best I could! It's like nothing I've ever seen and dare I say, EVEN BETTER than the Grand Canyon itself! </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXwhFL0Nr5W0-E4GpBdvuZuosfk2IsCsiLISemiwPflQhQONfPjiCj4_yiaRmYTii-NWQkZZ7uslLLfsV4Kh3jBhgrI7rSD_7GbwgbAiPiSqZ-G2Usdave_apqoTAe7hdz3JmGjX8Hjzz/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXwhFL0Nr5W0-E4GpBdvuZuosfk2IsCsiLISemiwPflQhQONfPjiCj4_yiaRmYTii-NWQkZZ7uslLLfsV4Kh3jBhgrI7rSD_7GbwgbAiPiSqZ-G2Usdave_apqoTAe7hdz3JmGjX8Hjzz/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Check out the balancing rock! It's incredible how the earth has formed itself into this over millions of years!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmclaFJhoW6fYRXjQaTnmfQbxNU5TT-hE2h-83lz-RSGSXwIlGL8q4TB0FVc4nJi6SFQzlZfKRvNob_c6ohLIAi38d8JqYmRmX0N9RfVtIRx9yXnY-ZH3H5XW39_tOsHIERfNkU9qMEym/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmclaFJhoW6fYRXjQaTnmfQbxNU5TT-hE2h-83lz-RSGSXwIlGL8q4TB0FVc4nJi6SFQzlZfKRvNob_c6ohLIAi38d8JqYmRmX0N9RfVtIRx9yXnY-ZH3H5XW39_tOsHIERfNkU9qMEym/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-8.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22LvvJNc_QJlTvkTu3H26JqSHm5tn_UPdmKFgWQMcgqVsgIPYTiOtl3_Lh5gpfhidqzyhnbzFMvqGaSaDosA65GTK_x_vU-GxH_LFKQYdtCm_l02_CKCh6Kl85puDSn38dJ9Kv84ARoPc/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22LvvJNc_QJlTvkTu3H26JqSHm5tn_UPdmKFgWQMcgqVsgIPYTiOtl3_Lh5gpfhidqzyhnbzFMvqGaSaDosA65GTK_x_vU-GxH_LFKQYdtCm_l02_CKCh6Kl85puDSn38dJ9Kv84ARoPc/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-16.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkLNDtaLPg0Niu07D42scuPWoxmC4nDGcwWwFFXQf-CVvu_h8SL9WlelB2jV1q-KtL8BXPjlhNuaIe8XXNGrvSAV3gCR4_VpRsPHBdbufKZEPDonIC3jPugkUc5CWOKNLgP5IApQ3bBw7/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkLNDtaLPg0Niu07D42scuPWoxmC4nDGcwWwFFXQf-CVvu_h8SL9WlelB2jV1q-KtL8BXPjlhNuaIe8XXNGrvSAV3gCR4_VpRsPHBdbufKZEPDonIC3jPugkUc5CWOKNLgP5IApQ3bBw7/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-15.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A little tree climbing never hurt anyone!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifs_8rKomGhatdv_bqSerwDxBnCzkPSsd2kJAXSDMlumBrx4s5QD0VpfjFDgvs1t2Xr7gJNxxeYD6E_s_FjSOFbf3hyOr4nekIyxN8qVBz6tkk3scbaCrCbGKlvYK9-o8PpC6QvDOQUpPr/s1600/Bryce+Original-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifs_8rKomGhatdv_bqSerwDxBnCzkPSsd2kJAXSDMlumBrx4s5QD0VpfjFDgvs1t2Xr7gJNxxeYD6E_s_FjSOFbf3hyOr4nekIyxN8qVBz6tkk3scbaCrCbGKlvYK9-o8PpC6QvDOQUpPr/s640/Bryce+Original-17.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHYFjjIbrobWk8S76PkBo-HzS9-0JVLhJIw6m1a91GllWE8txsmWc1Jqf4Jw6Js6tYCt4r1hRLRujC7a6Yj5S7QD91RdSnnriDetbZuakRznJv_lZa9elmKGgeAyOmrrD2uWCn5rkiOCV/s1600/Bryce+diptich+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHYFjjIbrobWk8S76PkBo-HzS9-0JVLhJIw6m1a91GllWE8txsmWc1Jqf4Jw6Js6tYCt4r1hRLRujC7a6Yj5S7QD91RdSnnriDetbZuakRznJv_lZa9elmKGgeAyOmrrD2uWCn5rkiOCV/s640/Bryce+diptich+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Okay, I'm just gonna slip this in here, because, well, I think it's fairly genius! So, you know when you're hiking and your hands feel dirty and grimy so you don't wanna touch the trail mix you packed to snack on? Well, empty a water bottle out and pour it in there! Great right?! We have a bottle of corn nuts in the car too! Feel free to steal my idea, or <a href="http://pinterest.com/" target="_blank">pin it!</a> lol</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRbRawqW6HdqLURZjLd_vgUhI336PQUO78akgdlBqkaNg0Io857oZ-o-zJEc_gfK2MDkeqYJJ7n3YuHqj666Vv_6JXgDyqrgwq6EqVwTUQp0QIcklNwa6cioxyjbakwtON6cVa0DStmZS/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRbRawqW6HdqLURZjLd_vgUhI336PQUO78akgdlBqkaNg0Io857oZ-o-zJEc_gfK2MDkeqYJJ7n3YuHqj666Vv_6JXgDyqrgwq6EqVwTUQp0QIcklNwa6cioxyjbakwtON6cVa0DStmZS/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-10.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Oh, and in case you ever happen to have your trail mix with you when you see a "wishing rock" formation and are worried your heavy rock won't sit atop, throw an M&M on there! It's sure to work and your wishes will come true!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYvoEsodWwLfPlUrqlfd_6lHd7klG8cyOHdu9BjoCKeqnxb_oFFHXT7M14wNmmdoBuINofAv3S5PabAhPZo-PF_6e2SMl4Ey7vHa8jwZeCDSj1SWHhU0WQ_XC0SQ23SA3lq0ddZl8cP0J/s1600/Bryce+diptich+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYvoEsodWwLfPlUrqlfd_6lHd7klG8cyOHdu9BjoCKeqnxb_oFFHXT7M14wNmmdoBuINofAv3S5PabAhPZo-PF_6e2SMl4Ey7vHa8jwZeCDSj1SWHhU0WQ_XC0SQ23SA3lq0ddZl8cP0J/s640/Bryce+diptich+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrVsq-R-Ocq_TtZrlb_zsh5c9Q7CHWTiP_jqhGFcTjdxKIdBFdV1qZl7YRHDm5FA1CtGmgET2WF0tbkXaOxeEEub-7Ie9g9oDt1FuGoI9SwonMik43H6ioMMEYr2tLn-TbggJIZ4w7B3m/s1600/Bryce+Original-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrVsq-R-Ocq_TtZrlb_zsh5c9Q7CHWTiP_jqhGFcTjdxKIdBFdV1qZl7YRHDm5FA1CtGmgET2WF0tbkXaOxeEEub-7Ie9g9oDt1FuGoI9SwonMik43H6ioMMEYr2tLn-TbggJIZ4w7B3m/s640/Bryce+Original-18.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Time for an <a href="http://instagram.com/ano33" target="_blank">instagram!</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1S2hyU4yyC4WYogjn3WmskXq95H8IdOiolVkc5nYUaFt4Uh2jWOPde5CW_SF0U8ItFzY2ihEZAVeUxjD4393z4wxPYFTY8JuggcbNM5LsO8_-a_c1UDQqmXRNK0G8T-IeOlqZVh0bP7X/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1S2hyU4yyC4WYogjn3WmskXq95H8IdOiolVkc5nYUaFt4Uh2jWOPde5CW_SF0U8ItFzY2ihEZAVeUxjD4393z4wxPYFTY8JuggcbNM5LsO8_-a_c1UDQqmXRNK0G8T-IeOlqZVh0bP7X/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-13.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Me and "Thors Hammer"! ... and yes, it was <i>STILL FREEZING</i>!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYNZ9i_JAkK9Tj6gDXv4n83OLnlIJWSS9mxHqGSgD-NePfxEipC7Odo9b2WhpaeEcvvRtQeHGFiyX8_gvvlDkglJbJ286LYoXi4HlW8eU-yyBQe3MVPlyrlbnlYdCyXt-pzJoYpbNIbdL/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYNZ9i_JAkK9Tj6gDXv4n83OLnlIJWSS9mxHqGSgD-NePfxEipC7Odo9b2WhpaeEcvvRtQeHGFiyX8_gvvlDkglJbJ286LYoXi4HlW8eU-yyBQe3MVPlyrlbnlYdCyXt-pzJoYpbNIbdL/s1600/Bryce+for+blog-14.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I think the pictures speak for themselves in this blog post! Bryce is pretty incredible!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The rest of the day was spent showering and doing laundry at the General Store, (1 load of clothes had to go through the dryer 4 times! The only good part about that was I got through 3 episodes of Glee while I waited!), cooking dinner, and sleeping! Our plan was to stay here in Bryce for a couple more days, but the cold weather is unbearable! It got down to 20 degrees today! So, tomorrow morning, we're headed North East to Arches National Park, which also happens to be in Utah! Who knew Utah was so beautiful?!</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-43170749178410610892013-04-29T14:35:00.000-07:002013-05-02T19:22:31.578-07:00Zion National Park!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Next stop on our Great American Roadtrip, as we like to callit, was Zion National Park in Southern Utah! Luckily it was only a 2 hour drive from the Grand Canyon, but Beef Jerkywas still essential for the driver! <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdf4513yj9DmJ1lTOvb6GF6c6G5vkbdJnpZ1QUG59odbVJUp6VPpmDn5TKxO_Vyvx0DA6d74HaO8RjDMKDGOM8v7HrLsm3ioAUczgwvD4Ts91wC4t3emDwyxrsTA7C0M4TK2IdKGGfLCB/s1600/Zion+for+blog-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdf4513yj9DmJ1lTOvb6GF6c6G5vkbdJnpZ1QUG59odbVJUp6VPpmDn5TKxO_Vyvx0DA6d74HaO8RjDMKDGOM8v7HrLsm3ioAUczgwvD4Ts91wC4t3emDwyxrsTA7C0M4TK2IdKGGfLCB/s1600/Zion+for+blog-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Our goal is to get a photo next to EVERY state sign that wepass! I’m pretty sure this set of picks will be my favorite of the whole trip! “I have to jump. Their slogan is:Life Elevated!” – Aaron <br />
(Aaron also swears he likes girls, in case there was any concern after viewing these photos! lol) The middle one is my absolute favorite... The stance of an 8 year old boy! I was dying! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltoH3tc_JQYxI7oAnb9TbeZqj0EeAF-_ZEgwhSS4NxzIZyqekKMxNJO43OmmDJ2xEOa7FS4pJbaB6z8N4X-gn0R8vApZeG05JVkb9fhQxPnqFtplhFFFMMShynRt25gjdwi-SkO5AD9ev/s1600/Zion+for+blog+vert-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltoH3tc_JQYxI7oAnb9TbeZqj0EeAF-_ZEgwhSS4NxzIZyqekKMxNJO43OmmDJ2xEOa7FS4pJbaB6z8N4X-gn0R8vApZeG05JVkb9fhQxPnqFtplhFFFMMShynRt25gjdwi-SkO5AD9ev/s640/Zion+for+blog+vert-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Sitting about 20 feet from the Utah sign, was a smallelementary style desk with bowls full of petrified wood crafts and a donationbox, for anyone wanting to take one home. We always try to bring something home with us from everywhere we visitto throw on our future Christmas tree, so when Aaron saw the “petrifiedmashmallows” he convinced me that that’d be our Utah souvenir! I’m not sure I really had a choice, butwhatever! Now we’ll always remember ourUtah adventures when we adorn our petrified marshmallow on our tree!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxPoBv9V_aXdQpuRmbjrupXEsPu7b7XXcMT4lrmzEYqzaERxUsUqZjso3Mp9WeyeiTRtMkOf_AQ11kinhNfuhaAnWaRbLiTWopvyNc9v8OIfOCmEP_wgMrZ4OTTX8SHt0BokwPqoWaBBY/s1600/Zion+for+blog+vert-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxPoBv9V_aXdQpuRmbjrupXEsPu7b7XXcMT4lrmzEYqzaERxUsUqZjso3Mp9WeyeiTRtMkOf_AQ11kinhNfuhaAnWaRbLiTWopvyNc9v8OIfOCmEP_wgMrZ4OTTX8SHt0BokwPqoWaBBY/s640/Zion+for+blog+vert-4.jpg" width="424" /></a></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">We made it to Zion National Park around 3:00pm…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaoKL0LhqivUz1V59lcC5rzzXruLEsBpmcjbSUilvbbolnTbaCn_uktHfhf57t4QjG1a9LjoGcxPZKwM65qUWhqVQ45yg2rMdOVtjEJIHImElZtQDed4B5cUeOTQVorL-3SpscEaPG75i/s1600/Zion+for+blog+vert-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaoKL0LhqivUz1V59lcC5rzzXruLEsBpmcjbSUilvbbolnTbaCn_uktHfhf57t4QjG1a9LjoGcxPZKwM65qUWhqVQ45yg2rMdOVtjEJIHImElZtQDed4B5cUeOTQVorL-3SpscEaPG75i/s640/Zion+for+blog+vert-5.jpg" width="424" /></a></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">… and set up camp at Watchman Campground, # C29!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhYOA0s6_wMdicm1KmVt2T6Pu796Ig5fRuhlUeU2Wzk-au1inJghahCWIO5pepwAZl2zMPoRf0P_AtniFUnErMITv9z04ZYTtPlB1GMiW6qZFLyvU6N9cdGOiE1duSz5tpDHj_ju6-H11/s1600/Zion+for+blog-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhYOA0s6_wMdicm1KmVt2T6Pu796Ig5fRuhlUeU2Wzk-au1inJghahCWIO5pepwAZl2zMPoRf0P_AtniFUnErMITv9z04ZYTtPlB1GMiW6qZFLyvU6N9cdGOiE1duSz5tpDHj_ju6-H11/s1600/Zion+for+blog-5.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Aaron got right to cooking dinner for us…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkg5DcxxdaGOdpNYOVVCt0zv5mtKQgV3fWygcHvaOdugjVqZUbY8gqayxiPZN7pbYV0dtJyRAhyYpgY8c-F2K1YMhQRMA3WUQtdttZosrGgIEapO4WfFZGvAWH-RCQonrcnOqedmONzht/s1600/Zion+for+blog-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkg5DcxxdaGOdpNYOVVCt0zv5mtKQgV3fWygcHvaOdugjVqZUbY8gqayxiPZN7pbYV0dtJyRAhyYpgY8c-F2K1YMhQRMA3WUQtdttZosrGgIEapO4WfFZGvAWH-RCQonrcnOqedmONzht/s1600/Zion+for+blog-2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">…. while I shamelessly read about why Sean is no longer a virgin, Kim is lonely, and Reese got arrested… you know, all the<i> important</i> stuff that the United States has to offer! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6EHvD_jsVcMVPMK_Vu6GTxnPiwxB_PMev-n42qx3Tgv1b9A9A3IwcGAshMF9tK1DPv0GpLkkTJLIWDLo0ObeZLYIuM-Iinic6yWVFdRhZLhCau8DVNojkkKkPCBoQnJBlzQli_67GR_N/s1600/Zion+for+blog-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6EHvD_jsVcMVPMK_Vu6GTxnPiwxB_PMev-n42qx3Tgv1b9A9A3IwcGAshMF9tK1DPv0GpLkkTJLIWDLo0ObeZLYIuM-Iinic6yWVFdRhZLhCau8DVNojkkKkPCBoQnJBlzQli_67GR_N/s1600/Zion+for+blog-3.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Yum, right?! We couldn't just eat hot dogs for every meal now could we?! I love when A offers to do the dinner for us! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPrIkqPbehOYZQ-FmcP1Y0j6It4eOmLGJPi-jlmf_AeO8fNRyb33qWKHGjZX9gRto9ng4ygQKi08c5x2D40F2yP0FQW3YzfFoxvNed03MzsjktyuUalXqTDaOnOBgow7PEOrMt5dqhDeo/s1600/Zion+for+blog-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPrIkqPbehOYZQ-FmcP1Y0j6It4eOmLGJPi-jlmf_AeO8fNRyb33qWKHGjZX9gRto9ng4ygQKi08c5x2D40F2yP0FQW3YzfFoxvNed03MzsjktyuUalXqTDaOnOBgow7PEOrMt5dqhDeo/s1600/Zion+for+blog-4.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">At around 2am, the wind was ROARING through the campsite andthe giant tree above our tent was making creaking noises that lead both of us to believe it was about to fallright on us! So, we moved our sleepingbags to the car and slept sitting straight up! As luck would have it, we woke up to no wind and a perfectly standingtree! Lol We actually couldn’t stay at this sitebecause it was already booked for the night, so we drove over to SouthCampground and moved EVERYTHING to campsite # 83, right on the river with a flawlessview of The Watchman Mountain! YESPLEASE! (Camping in National Parks iseither first come first serve or reserve 6 months in advance, which can bekinda tricky for us, since we can only do the first come first serve sites…hence the moving camp this morning!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vBGv7zDvOeVImB0q7Rql3qaIUJyYF9KWqwaK7HIzdiy2jkbtl8Yq7TunSFx05td2MeNQTkg1HBKmSiSvK_Xpiqmuj_msTE1btopCgZEWwdpiI8e7bNNJkg7iEtvPwfEuCCq7PXKKH_44/s1600/Zion+for+blog-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vBGv7zDvOeVImB0q7Rql3qaIUJyYF9KWqwaK7HIzdiy2jkbtl8Yq7TunSFx05td2MeNQTkg1HBKmSiSvK_Xpiqmuj_msTE1btopCgZEWwdpiI8e7bNNJkg7iEtvPwfEuCCq7PXKKH_44/s1600/Zion+for+blog-15.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Zion National Park has an awesome FREE shuttle system thattakes you to the base of a bunch of different hikes throughout the park! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5FIiPT2e-GXqzoGgHK80CERx8WTT9G8AQeW35EVYbjGMynfyrzuQUL2RSjgkRJM0mhTYqX_aVhr8gj5mOA7PdDYJ_TGzB4SHEHE6VkGeZ5KbjcP4l6SuDeF64Av3VBBNKq1flJYmk5sC/s1600/Zion+for+blog-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5FIiPT2e-GXqzoGgHK80CERx8WTT9G8AQeW35EVYbjGMynfyrzuQUL2RSjgkRJM0mhTYqX_aVhr8gj5mOA7PdDYJ_TGzB4SHEHE6VkGeZ5KbjcP4l6SuDeF64Av3VBBNKq1flJYmk5sC/s1600/Zion+for+blog-6.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">So, we jumped on it and headed to the horsecoral, which was on the way to the trail for the Emerald Pools.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsWoweaiDG6k_Mt1ZCpqeDs9y0OhTEWCdpmG3MaCJ4hgUykqeQ-YR6tETkKb_xutzWQFUN7KAF6b8uTpK4R0NbYPCByDyN_zrC-2INKe9ELm0UeDBB2R8rWnyxhVfQPutDpADl-HKUJ7q/s1600/Zion+for+blog-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsWoweaiDG6k_Mt1ZCpqeDs9y0OhTEWCdpmG3MaCJ4hgUykqeQ-YR6tETkKb_xutzWQFUN7KAF6b8uTpK4R0NbYPCByDyN_zrC-2INKe9ELm0UeDBB2R8rWnyxhVfQPutDpADl-HKUJ7q/s1600/Zion+for+blog-7.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Don’t be fooled by what looks to be a sweet horse! The darn thing tried to bite me, twice!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNyVelGjEJXKDOtXdFn0zKvojTLf3taUcToXtatK9b9nOv6-gVj6hGh4JDolBWBJfTEN-ahmuFykR6MF89PUWBrGfoxtwbwhB8oGb4lJztS7DQFhwBf5aPSHX8yT29EwSgoKX5y-m9Lyk/s1600/Zion+for+blog-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNyVelGjEJXKDOtXdFn0zKvojTLf3taUcToXtatK9b9nOv6-gVj6hGh4JDolBWBJfTEN-ahmuFykR6MF89PUWBrGfoxtwbwhB8oGb4lJztS7DQFhwBf5aPSHX8yT29EwSgoKX5y-m9Lyk/s1600/Zion+for+blog-8.jpg" /></a></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">There are 3 Emerald Pools, all at different levels of thecanyon! We hiked to all three, and wereglad we did! The hike from the bottompool to the upper Emerald Pool was rocky and sandy! I never realize there could be that much sandup so high! It was like taking a strollthrough Huntington Beach!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwv1L5CTShJFiy3ZJSaowEzyo1cOpeADpz_BALLDy8HQg8JeLZw5pvht57AGTrrBYedTLPiDo9nizVcQE4LWaPejzGQKu1s-K4ma5US5_r5F2N_05fc7xqzNUP-FU0PyovMezWRkiKN8e/s1600/Zion+for+blog+vert-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwv1L5CTShJFiy3ZJSaowEzyo1cOpeADpz_BALLDy8HQg8JeLZw5pvht57AGTrrBYedTLPiDo9nizVcQE4LWaPejzGQKu1s-K4ma5US5_r5F2N_05fc7xqzNUP-FU0PyovMezWRkiKN8e/s1600/Zion+for+blog+vert-6.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The water literally falls from the cliffs, over a cove inthe mountainside.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5vn2oOlSrc5nlweGmd3Qmalv-2wbx-qFNXxSSJE-oNv9rGLAnefI4N5bednubuRBN66-MnMr6x5H8vzhjFYre6hIkiATnX0jQZFlbD3w4YsJhAk78XGx5qvw-tojtYfPCWgWa3E_w2E6/s1600/Zion+for+blog-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5vn2oOlSrc5nlweGmd3Qmalv-2wbx-qFNXxSSJE-oNv9rGLAnefI4N5bednubuRBN66-MnMr6x5H8vzhjFYre6hIkiATnX0jQZFlbD3w4YsJhAk78XGx5qvw-tojtYfPCWgWa3E_w2E6/s1600/Zion+for+blog-9.jpg" /></a></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">It was hot, hot, hot today and we were both starving by theend of the hike, so instead of going back to camp, we just walked over to theZion Lodge (the original accomodation in Zion!) and had lunch in the grass, under a giant shade tree, just outsidethe lodge.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcs9gKP_kwHUIjdKMI2gkULgsYSrzoliGrXHF6z6wOTynAAzxlJH6phFR5a8bhvRFBRulKypkRf7FX6Fw_JJq3gOZnOvR4j4QS9lyJ2KYllVdYmVTbSyvHaA9uC5vtj1udL8zAwyVe4ET/s1600/Zion+for+blog-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcs9gKP_kwHUIjdKMI2gkULgsYSrzoliGrXHF6z6wOTynAAzxlJH6phFR5a8bhvRFBRulKypkRf7FX6Fw_JJq3gOZnOvR4j4QS9lyJ2KYllVdYmVTbSyvHaA9uC5vtj1udL8zAwyVe4ET/s1600/Zion+for+blog-11.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSxrhw0iYbNqrV97bvaQhRAD9Ryu_qMLme6AWyxptV8rg_ljGfTiwVfftTHZQZq5wqmbUPvDaL9JY787Vh8F3MhiEHo8HzDfh8teiK0VUzkj6pXn3zwDelAgw23sWWlo4AD3RGcKcUk73/s1600/Zion+for+blog-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSxrhw0iYbNqrV97bvaQhRAD9Ryu_qMLme6AWyxptV8rg_ljGfTiwVfftTHZQZq5wqmbUPvDaL9JY787Vh8F3MhiEHo8HzDfh8teiK0VUzkj6pXn3zwDelAgw23sWWlo4AD3RGcKcUk73/s1600/Zion+for+blog-12.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4jiU9Kq1lVkB07yjmt7pwJl5ckCCJUB2gXV5zDTJc-opAqKIaEGnIwVdF4vvcKUvKzdYUTsKHKo-ADZ-poZuLNf9CJ_g9nDKHWN8fH97vF5AtyoVBs7hUThyt1hzCJxOLscN0wSJDHji/s1600/Zion+for+blog-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4jiU9Kq1lVkB07yjmt7pwJl5ckCCJUB2gXV5zDTJc-opAqKIaEGnIwVdF4vvcKUvKzdYUTsKHKo-ADZ-poZuLNf9CJ_g9nDKHWN8fH97vF5AtyoVBs7hUThyt1hzCJxOLscN0wSJDHji/s1600/Zion+for+blog-13.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">We took the shuttle over to the stop between the Lodge and the campsite to the Museum, where we watched a really interesting 15 minute movie all about Zion, how it was formed over the years, all the different viewpoints, hikes, etc. I was just happy to be in the air condition if I’m being completely honest!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">We decided to skip the shuttle and take a mile walk back to camp along the Pa’rus Trail. It was here, along the easiest walk we did all week, that I twisted my ankle and fell flat on my face down a set of stone stairs! Aaron said it was like I did it in slow motion. lol We both had a nice laugh about it, brushed my shins and hands off, picked up my pride and kept on trekking! Lol </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr32-HcQJZPWzbsoLrF-3cMOMc4so1z4DlQzFkLcnIt4E-Xy2zIt1yTfkBXmYhTptNIC0gd4MG-LZo92Xzukb7vszqPHHSJdsHo_l4XaxL6r8vdLzSctuT9MwH7XRJ6bBEMu5mtk90koeE/s1600/Zion+for+blog-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr32-HcQJZPWzbsoLrF-3cMOMc4so1z4DlQzFkLcnIt4E-Xy2zIt1yTfkBXmYhTptNIC0gd4MG-LZo92Xzukb7vszqPHHSJdsHo_l4XaxL6r8vdLzSctuT9MwH7XRJ6bBEMu5mtk90koeE/s1600/Zion+for+blog-14.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="text-align: center;">We got back to camp around 5:00pm and the sun was STILL SHINNING and I was melting in the heat, so we walked over to the Virgin River to cool off and read under the shade trees!</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; text-align: center;">J</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1b47IxNqpuUKj_mhQlNamX5-VFCbvUeEaxxTRZk2iiOXMGT5HiYM3iy0l8wOk06TFVIX87XjDwz7Svv1sAl9tJyFFSB57uSc6pK4KPjLbYvwmPMWfytSLawgyHtQwCwOjrgoRRnrU3bRR/s1600/Zion+for+blog-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1b47IxNqpuUKj_mhQlNamX5-VFCbvUeEaxxTRZk2iiOXMGT5HiYM3iy0l8wOk06TFVIX87XjDwz7Svv1sAl9tJyFFSB57uSc6pK4KPjLbYvwmPMWfytSLawgyHtQwCwOjrgoRRnrU3bRR/s1600/Zion+for+blog-16.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">We had heard that the bridge next to Canyon Junction was a stunning site to watch the sunset, so we drove over there around 7pm and hung out with the other 5 or so photographers who were there to capture the same shot. I, personally, am much more of a “photo journalist” than a “sunset/sunrise/landscape enthusiast”, so I left capturing the PERFECT sunset shot up to Aaron and snapped this one before setting my camera down to chat about travel, photography and life with the other people around. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLVF8gtIFUUJRoaVrIfbSaYa923CwQv_fN0kGizvtJWPbDZELNZasAFI1cyYg5iPbRvyL44CDds8XhnRTYEuB-i-tlP3NPd0jiq63mkYiD98v2OQkwPr7iogjp0k6I8_jFzBKKUjkn8KA/s1600/Zion+for+blog-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLVF8gtIFUUJRoaVrIfbSaYa923CwQv_fN0kGizvtJWPbDZELNZasAFI1cyYg5iPbRvyL44CDds8XhnRTYEuB-i-tlP3NPd0jiq63mkYiD98v2OQkwPr7iogjp0k6I8_jFzBKKUjkn8KA/s1600/Zion+for+blog-17.jpg" /></a> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I happened to think that looking in the opposite direction was almost just as stunning!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfM71uUnJz7eE6umEkA_r4CvGD1rbO-RwYfNwU7m0dqlpogPoF1Sfdw9NbtzB0n4p4obBczupOB4B3W5azQwB8hYSESyomLqLcXunLHci8fhifDPzmZayYwcwEkrmV47MN_h5xghIwgyt/s1600/Zion+for+blog-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfM71uUnJz7eE6umEkA_r4CvGD1rbO-RwYfNwU7m0dqlpogPoF1Sfdw9NbtzB0n4p4obBczupOB4B3W5azQwB8hYSESyomLqLcXunLHci8fhifDPzmZayYwcwEkrmV47MN_h5xghIwgyt/s1600/Zion+for+blog-18.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">We got back to the campsite around 8:30, made dinner andwent straight to bed! It’s funny howheat’ll suck all the energy from ya!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">We were so excited to do an 8+ mile hike called The Narrows,where you literally tread through the Virgin River, through steep, gorgeous, canyonson either side! It was the hike A and Iwere most excited about doing in Zion, but TODAY it was closed due to high andrushing waters. So, instead, we did theRiverside Walk trail, which was way too easy, but beautiful none the less.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4AMsgWiqv3FjjAutwNDVKHLJ-xrJU4FSh9hILRHjTdGT5kspOvxk9OXNYbIRmCIfkddF_CIsoDKqJL_KkPJdm__sZiTfplukyXvjAf3sSbvHMxFnQqbDpC6LzLRoPFiD0yC5fOL7n3vQ/s1600/Zion+for+blog-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4AMsgWiqv3FjjAutwNDVKHLJ-xrJU4FSh9hILRHjTdGT5kspOvxk9OXNYbIRmCIfkddF_CIsoDKqJL_KkPJdm__sZiTfplukyXvjAf3sSbvHMxFnQqbDpC6LzLRoPFiD0yC5fOL7n3vQ/s1600/Zion+for+blog-19.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Eventually, the Riverwalk trail leads to the beginning of The Narrows! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGskmxRw0cKi_3PkN4zYJYsgKXa-qVRJqpwQ21kfl1iVxw6I3aztvfn9Uq3tUPEAf1ZHWIKMmLR5zVsXUnIVuFEUPYrNjjtyXP3b71_hyA_OvkMeJFvOGYSaGUJ9Jt4tJihoXaI19bXPb/s1600/jillers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGskmxRw0cKi_3PkN4zYJYsgKXa-qVRJqpwQ21kfl1iVxw6I3aztvfn9Uq3tUPEAf1ZHWIKMmLR5zVsXUnIVuFEUPYrNjjtyXP3b71_hyA_OvkMeJFvOGYSaGUJ9Jt4tJihoXaI19bXPb/s640/jillers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaNzR6Ye8WM8kczR6HcG0H8YQfJbjUczr2M5gmkd6DQi2kJu8auIuoF4hsB5ppQyUUhLeZ2RuZwVj1tgawj5RMr56CQzvGvIMZkUwvpZI5h9ILQ8MaGK6I98PdMzMW-XeVVTWIjTZ-sgR/s1600/Zion+for+blog+vert-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaNzR6Ye8WM8kczR6HcG0H8YQfJbjUczr2M5gmkd6DQi2kJu8auIuoF4hsB5ppQyUUhLeZ2RuZwVj1tgawj5RMr56CQzvGvIMZkUwvpZI5h9ILQ8MaGK6I98PdMzMW-XeVVTWIjTZ-sgR/s1600/Zion+for+blog+vert-11.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfo8VRXHxt7AcuA9rtiLqtbk00ZHstldo5j_b54q6IlyVLDrUov1xZGjh9gz9pl0001fvj_9FrI5WTF13hHcQs2kO8nLKp7ZmKhuNzr0PvhRioVAzVEexQJY5kViZrbHrK6gWhyz98Mud/s1600/Zion+for+blog+vert-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfo8VRXHxt7AcuA9rtiLqtbk00ZHstldo5j_b54q6IlyVLDrUov1xZGjh9gz9pl0001fvj_9FrI5WTF13hHcQs2kO8nLKp7ZmKhuNzr0PvhRioVAzVEexQJY5kViZrbHrK6gWhyz98Mud/s1600/Zion+for+blog+vert-14.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
This is what "roughin' it" looks like!!! lol</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ef4NcFLoca0eg1y9khiupHvZ885YP3JDCUNuv3ZwVcT8SXTTZDVHsUVttUmXeODPgZur28QO9Ck6Ll4k_BiV568x9jBcIOYTTHvbRJO6IS4PM4THH2fOnrIy0bIdYSQk8KxOS5f7rbAn/s1600/Zion+for+blog-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ef4NcFLoca0eg1y9khiupHvZ885YP3JDCUNuv3ZwVcT8SXTTZDVHsUVttUmXeODPgZur28QO9Ck6Ll4k_BiV568x9jBcIOYTTHvbRJO6IS4PM4THH2fOnrIy0bIdYSQk8KxOS5f7rbAn/s1600/Zion+for+blog-21.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Next stop was Weeping Rock a short steep hike that ends at arock alcove with 1,000+ year old water, dripping through the rock (sorry you can't really tell)! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2BO68SJiwhBQkQ-fbbKeAxOpCj1lyVPxmziobfn4HzpOUKOv3arUOYEviDiQQH8bOlJ18dgAIeKdeNLLk5-IwTO88ripFrLOa9OkhPFXATcRJ9-MMNwHWnnwyZbne_1lzhZ3GMy0cO4Y/s1600/Zion+for+blog-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2BO68SJiwhBQkQ-fbbKeAxOpCj1lyVPxmziobfn4HzpOUKOv3arUOYEviDiQQH8bOlJ18dgAIeKdeNLLk5-IwTO88ripFrLOa9OkhPFXATcRJ9-MMNwHWnnwyZbne_1lzhZ3GMy0cO4Y/s1600/Zion+for+blog-25.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sG8TFTjqhSQxSOnjmSv8oVs9TgibDeUcQrKhcrA-LpLMboPrtepv75x0vEPcnZeiL_7RzG4eDs-Z5kazIVwo6ToKn19xcsrZVvIdvLLR0nR6o9gIy-o428wsP7zy8mIKU-A4h3z6iR5I/s1600/Zion+for+blog-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sG8TFTjqhSQxSOnjmSv8oVs9TgibDeUcQrKhcrA-LpLMboPrtepv75x0vEPcnZeiL_7RzG4eDs-Z5kazIVwo6ToKn19xcsrZVvIdvLLR0nR6o9gIy-o428wsP7zy8mIKU-A4h3z6iR5I/s1600/Zion+for+blog-22.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">It’s pretty amazing to think that that waterhas been traveling through the mountain for all those years!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsv1-vqbzgjUt8NMvZlCXEEimn2fvxgFxKxm7UlWnwmaHfFvMjKmcg4I-ZYjV6AQIpliPCm7vloQbwYoJdhHG0CuMYLaHk8VUqfjja3eCPDn5jvBGR3sfW80CH4sovCYhwTmCZxKlmWNp/s1600/Zion+for+blog-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsv1-vqbzgjUt8NMvZlCXEEimn2fvxgFxKxm7UlWnwmaHfFvMjKmcg4I-ZYjV6AQIpliPCm7vloQbwYoJdhHG0CuMYLaHk8VUqfjja3eCPDn5jvBGR3sfW80CH4sovCYhwTmCZxKlmWNp/s1600/Zion+for+blog-24.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">… even flowers are blooming from within the stone! It’s such a beautiful place!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCzYJkFC3VNB8ejtKomEKf6Icf5FqIgChNG5kLLGE4P8xaIHsLJtO6NMzTPYGksRIADDQnmcVO4rcGMGc6iamc4AB92MpLvFRcdBATTK9EV8YW8nzCHy2JmkL5O6-Zx8Pt9ubzeRa4IXD/s1600/Zion+for+blog+vert-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCzYJkFC3VNB8ejtKomEKf6Icf5FqIgChNG5kLLGE4P8xaIHsLJtO6NMzTPYGksRIADDQnmcVO4rcGMGc6iamc4AB92MpLvFRcdBATTK9EV8YW8nzCHy2JmkL5O6-Zx8Pt9ubzeRa4IXD/s1600/Zion+for+blog+vert-16.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">We were kinda feeling like losers for doing such easy hikesin a place where people are doing hikes like Angel’s Landing, which has 1,400ft drops on either side of a narrow 3 foot pathway and a single chain to hangonto for dear life, so we knew we needed to up the ante (sp?) a bit and headedfor Canyon Overlook, which overlooks part of the Zion Valley! The hike ends at the top of the arch in themountain in the background, which doesn’t look THAT high in this picture, but a5,300 foot drop is high ENOUGH for me!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNVCS4IVxmue4g4A9zBYx1KdTwz1nc8fPKc6w5qyEGwbhIGR39lApR74MKos59eCA3Jw3covyiEBT419ces962Mder_a-5PiFI17ay6LoU9Is0kEya13zz6U0k6ch6B8LOEqUb2-tyUCA/s1600/Zion+for+blog-34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNVCS4IVxmue4g4A9zBYx1KdTwz1nc8fPKc6w5qyEGwbhIGR39lApR74MKos59eCA3Jw3covyiEBT419ces962Mder_a-5PiFI17ay6LoU9Is0kEya13zz6U0k6ch6B8LOEqUb2-tyUCA/s1600/Zion+for+blog-34.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yep, this was more like it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPFFh0YTt8r1gdQz7e4mJETNQ4GK8wBFb9KHtzvJAYJBJNGfwP2b9hdPxCAd5bfU_Idti4aQM2wbPpj35hKogauguwMi4g0ciYuBC63b_wOBbE0bVMkZ5gl6RayHGQ7Jy9rI_Ij1HddvQ/s1600/Zion+for+blog-27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPFFh0YTt8r1gdQz7e4mJETNQ4GK8wBFb9KHtzvJAYJBJNGfwP2b9hdPxCAd5bfU_Idti4aQM2wbPpj35hKogauguwMi4g0ciYuBC63b_wOBbE0bVMkZ5gl6RayHGQ7Jy9rI_Ij1HddvQ/s1600/Zion+for+blog-27.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had to keep reminding Aaron that no picture was worth dying for when he was setting his tripod right on the ledge! The guy gets so darn close to the edge and it was so windy, I thought he might blow off the side of the cliff and down that 5,300 foot drop!!! I know he’s being careful, but I can’t help but tense up and freak out a little. I think he secretly kinda liked that I was so worried about him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPh4QLduXlfIOx1ygr90On8XZ5dr3_mDif_uVc0ueswod3u4Y1ll3I3MJDn9ILJJ0irfXfS21lkp5TPQiJazmOC5vqN34uZU8c4d9z_U2yYxN0tSSoZf9oYaYNSn5aSfJwJx9l8-SjfS7/s1600/Zion+for+blog-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPh4QLduXlfIOx1ygr90On8XZ5dr3_mDif_uVc0ueswod3u4Y1ll3I3MJDn9ILJJ0irfXfS21lkp5TPQiJazmOC5vqN34uZU8c4d9z_U2yYxN0tSSoZf9oYaYNSn5aSfJwJx9l8-SjfS7/s1600/Zion+for+blog-30.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHcsaLRo76kUBO7zhHGnXfJpw9we5yKCsdzYx_h4D_dI43q5fPUJPj7j2OT2HRPVy5bTrhm1LPJXqLUpQ6v1dY7YBnFNbLjOfjwcFNoehmSB6fYZNm3w9cOFLvwLHYFYJgyolwhIDNsCy/s1600/Zion+for+blog-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHcsaLRo76kUBO7zhHGnXfJpw9we5yKCsdzYx_h4D_dI43q5fPUJPj7j2OT2HRPVy5bTrhm1LPJXqLUpQ6v1dY7YBnFNbLjOfjwcFNoehmSB6fYZNm3w9cOFLvwLHYFYJgyolwhIDNsCy/s1600/Zion+for+blog-28.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I mean look at this view!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_RQOkF1CYtZrI4roCjjQvUkWTP2TpzdXUcqspbs2XOipqNrZWIOgzgW8VHfozvVfYVMIdkNB6zte2IWdImLDGcITK0DJi-Sjh2IfepvIkmsLXgi1BxvI8WXqrdgFi1q7c4ySoW4onU_N/s1600/Zion+for+blog-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_RQOkF1CYtZrI4roCjjQvUkWTP2TpzdXUcqspbs2XOipqNrZWIOgzgW8VHfozvVfYVMIdkNB6zte2IWdImLDGcITK0DJi-Sjh2IfepvIkmsLXgi1BxvI8WXqrdgFi1q7c4ySoW4onU_N/s1600/Zion+for+blog-29.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I much preferred being about 15 feet from the edge, on thislittle rock. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffH1SeDG5SnqYvC96aygeOZGMrairx85CWJ0gvAFV-bFPttpwovQK1u1BcgLDAaJNSqEkltlqfyBS-ubfcKl4tcJxzmoiaaAWCR2WVS0seolo2yQJ3jW0ypXg-75SaD__GNjHayO2gENi/s1600/Zion+for+blog-33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffH1SeDG5SnqYvC96aygeOZGMrairx85CWJ0gvAFV-bFPttpwovQK1u1BcgLDAaJNSqEkltlqfyBS-ubfcKl4tcJxzmoiaaAWCR2WVS0seolo2yQJ3jW0ypXg-75SaD__GNjHayO2gENi/s1600/Zion+for+blog-33.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">But, I did brave up a bit and get 5 feet or so from the edgeto enjoy the view with A!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOSkb_V7HppGDaL6kkxclnuH45ilRtxKV3iXFz_-NFVxuYqLnLP7axBdMSC-I1MixIwQkfLPgyC7O204QR7blXOvyfXeWpEmTfir6XxZywEUuViKVHFEAPCmW_6dKM5w8vvVPy2Kkmi0C/s1600/Zion+for+blog-31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOSkb_V7HppGDaL6kkxclnuH45ilRtxKV3iXFz_-NFVxuYqLnLP7axBdMSC-I1MixIwQkfLPgyC7O204QR7blXOvyfXeWpEmTfir6XxZywEUuViKVHFEAPCmW_6dKM5w8vvVPy2Kkmi0C/s1600/Zion+for+blog-31.jpg" /></a> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p>And for that, I was pretty proud of myself! ... and every proud moment deserves a jump, right?!</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcu1NL9XD6Mdh7c7G9PI7UM_G1mm3O-MLn7LyuLdRfIT4uRAc9i6vnDJ-5Bxxju00XAdsyA4fdfFgdM9yQiI9CARDS2wZq6c9pSyar_5JtVwmFdthlWK2TEFz1EmEipUhPd11YkIMiga4B/s1600/jumping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="477" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcu1NL9XD6Mdh7c7G9PI7UM_G1mm3O-MLn7LyuLdRfIT4uRAc9i6vnDJ-5Bxxju00XAdsyA4fdfFgdM9yQiI9CARDS2wZq6c9pSyar_5JtVwmFdthlWK2TEFz1EmEipUhPd11YkIMiga4B/s640/jumping.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">We were feeling great about our stay in Zion, but were readyand eager to move on to our next stop, Bryce Canyon National Park! You’ll just have to wait to hear all aboutthat till later! <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Ciao from Utah!</div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-63157052215518433392013-04-28T23:59:00.000-07:002013-04-30T07:29:24.783-07:00The Grand Canyon!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Saturday morning came and it was time to say goodbye to
Sedona, so we packed up camp and jumped on the road to Flagstaff, which
happened to be on the way to our next stop: The Grand Canyon. I found La Bellavia, a cute little restaurant
with great breakfast reviews, on yelp, so we stopped there for pancakes and an
omelet! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLogddzfOwX32lphOKXEbdvDQGtxKCJvrUFJUDJe_7BWDvRAhzSRn_p69dkuCHqd4UHbHdOPizK1n7NTDTx7tr4F6AmfhM4fphw0z2kNe3Bs72C7AMzpTc1gYUhBQh7gCcZPHrvzc5qOW/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLogddzfOwX32lphOKXEbdvDQGtxKCJvrUFJUDJe_7BWDvRAhzSRn_p69dkuCHqd4UHbHdOPizK1n7NTDTx7tr4F6AmfhM4fphw0z2kNe3Bs72C7AMzpTc1gYUhBQh7gCcZPHrvzc5qOW/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog-1.jpg" /></a></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Within 2 hours, we were at The Grand Canyon! I can not believe I lived in Arizona for 6
years and only came to Sedona and the Grand Canyon for 24 hours each, and only
once! They’re sooo close and so
amazing!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPcLphwFls87_XrHQwtUGzQ3ynvaH-CsCYDRVZWTsxGcRAO4imBFm64siXrxZK1dsApeKVnysWRPBVw4G7SehLP3X_faD51Jn4NxVf4vWm8Bv7kwLsSNp7iafIAmJF0VAZXwPWd7KOuEG/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPcLphwFls87_XrHQwtUGzQ3ynvaH-CsCYDRVZWTsxGcRAO4imBFm64siXrxZK1dsApeKVnysWRPBVw4G7SehLP3X_faD51Jn4NxVf4vWm8Bv7kwLsSNp7iafIAmJF0VAZXwPWd7KOuEG/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-24.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We checked into our $16 a night campground, set up camp and headed out!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIj_oq3nT-hVPcLSoXmEmsZ8qkk2LJSVgaNFn1SuaaAsaTaqwwdpGzh9ZG1HgcTD-hwaOOu_xg8fOYyQcu8ZgjnF3Z_zpJyetdaFpNLdboLwxpegXIRDh5Jxk0PM84axWc3obJYcAUsKvY/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIj_oq3nT-hVPcLSoXmEmsZ8qkk2LJSVgaNFn1SuaaAsaTaqwwdpGzh9ZG1HgcTD-hwaOOu_xg8fOYyQcu8ZgjnF3Z_zpJyetdaFpNLdboLwxpegXIRDh5Jxk0PM84axWc3obJYcAUsKvY/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We had heard about the “free shuttles” that take you to lots
of different look out spots around the Canyon, so we went to the westernmost
shuttle route and saw it leaving just as we were walking up, so we headed over
to the Rim Trail and did a little hiking instead.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5eLdC05Kp-833g1wjtXuHB-pRuy0KcE5Cw2kNVnJo02_E3Rh1P-KbTqf6RUzxOqFu3U_PSACDQBuOh5m-uLVLM6_QjdUNASa7XSMPjXaIfW7MKRT9JTRUBLblx4V-mi2bTDU1Px-g8sy/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5eLdC05Kp-833g1wjtXuHB-pRuy0KcE5Cw2kNVnJo02_E3Rh1P-KbTqf6RUzxOqFu3U_PSACDQBuOh5m-uLVLM6_QjdUNASa7XSMPjXaIfW7MKRT9JTRUBLblx4V-mi2bTDU1Px-g8sy/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZJjvDpVs6z72slrCnu0vZzMNlS7ZcGeoBul7R8RKWsEEuAzbRnAcW5r35Y3Xb3yqseY8bhpmIMSunXTSc-tgUiwgKLut7N8hJtce2BkguMoL4D_cSMpC9SwAOTSyWYdKxSWYB3VWCoxZ/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZJjvDpVs6z72slrCnu0vZzMNlS7ZcGeoBul7R8RKWsEEuAzbRnAcW5r35Y3Xb3yqseY8bhpmIMSunXTSc-tgUiwgKLut7N8hJtce2BkguMoL4D_cSMpC9SwAOTSyWYdKxSWYB3VWCoxZ/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvEkPJqknieJEKcopqOhnmwG9iWWLpeaMHCDzaFqs1wTlMy9nlIp2ySiOy7NebPjB07Nhy_ZCNbW0oeP0oc8rYOMxiBPNgsq5WQkvFqE21ChYsTNDfsx71WomP-LHu4zH-Ho46vKiot7v/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvEkPJqknieJEKcopqOhnmwG9iWWLpeaMHCDzaFqs1wTlMy9nlIp2ySiOy7NebPjB07Nhy_ZCNbW0oeP0oc8rYOMxiBPNgsq5WQkvFqE21ChYsTNDfsx71WomP-LHu4zH-Ho46vKiot7v/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-12.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
When we got back up to the top, we jumped on the shuttle to
“Hermit’s Rest”, where we grabbed some ice cream - like the true fatties we
are, and then hopped back on the shuttle and got off at Mohave Point and walked
a mile or so on the trail past Hopi Point to Powell Point, all along the edge
of the cliffs! There’s one point that’s
almost 3,000 feet STRAIGHT DOWN people! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOl-zdhvehk2BNGzzBh9_KPJY5-stsXLu3MGUyxNGCZ_jCjg2eHYMG95IuCPy34W8ZMVQEF9II0rJ6hi6kmSMlVzbmkYdzR_UbB2R-P-uL2vkd84MH_o_TiHekSCsqjqbM4uVhE-UPPC6/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOl-zdhvehk2BNGzzBh9_KPJY5-stsXLu3MGUyxNGCZ_jCjg2eHYMG95IuCPy34W8ZMVQEF9II0rJ6hi6kmSMlVzbmkYdzR_UbB2R-P-uL2vkd84MH_o_TiHekSCsqjqbM4uVhE-UPPC6/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-10.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p></o:p>I had to beg Aaron to come back from the edge so many times…
and he in turn had to tell me to chill out!
lol <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hI4bb9jVgS_GrjD04_RcHeh-MZ9-4ESs58_NLAuUmWuBDDFgwpWCglAh1nDoqSr27_mtuXeleSfoQ-1Q7pvytRnzIWlcu7nV4_mw6p0BG6mm9SsmuNdNaAy_i7_I4bqUym5c85RdlOJ-/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hI4bb9jVgS_GrjD04_RcHeh-MZ9-4ESs58_NLAuUmWuBDDFgwpWCglAh1nDoqSr27_mtuXeleSfoQ-1Q7pvytRnzIWlcu7nV4_mw6p0BG6mm9SsmuNdNaAy_i7_I4bqUym5c85RdlOJ-/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We got back to the village around 5 or so and drove back to
camp, waving to all the wildlife along the way. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpTftvhcxdxu7QaCdilklCJBwhGTWKYSblPTy0EAT8L_OYIGqWLD-c5WKhknesqkkhM7nyJtr62PyQmT5kWffUpo5oXGSZB-Ku86yJWYhTaSJNaqxr8FU6kzAoJsul4N5FVqEoHQRRUhG/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpTftvhcxdxu7QaCdilklCJBwhGTWKYSblPTy0EAT8L_OYIGqWLD-c5WKhknesqkkhM7nyJtr62PyQmT5kWffUpo5oXGSZB-Ku86yJWYhTaSJNaqxr8FU6kzAoJsul4N5FVqEoHQRRUhG/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-13.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
… Then we both went out into the forest and gathered some
firewood to make our little campfire.
We could have just bought wood for $7, but $7 adds up fast and why buy
wood when you can just gather it yourself?
That’s part of the fun of roughing it, right?!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYtPQzveLa9GVh_9-iQqFVWQctUBU9oCFfpLK1nGrQHwmk_jr36eQDpIZZB0Ijwu3z4VIXNZ7l0PivAMbIdvdhetOX9Co_kUhYh9JIZTvwz-jWhM2C5bC-xQzc-ndFzfdbl_cfhvu1xCW/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYtPQzveLa9GVh_9-iQqFVWQctUBU9oCFfpLK1nGrQHwmk_jr36eQDpIZZB0Ijwu3z4VIXNZ7l0PivAMbIdvdhetOX9Co_kUhYh9JIZTvwz-jWhM2C5bC-xQzc-ndFzfdbl_cfhvu1xCW/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
After dinner, we jumped in the 4runner and drove a couple
miles to the general store to pick up something we can hang on our Christmas
tree (We like to have little memoires of each place we go) and to get some
jiffy pop, campfire style, popcorn! We
spent the rest of the night by the campfire, then popped the popcorn and huddle
in the tent to watch another Modern Family episode!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://instagram.com/jillosteen" target="_blank">(instagram pic)</a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBoYUo3SO9QMycuaOsON-B-DO5odqVnX4RUBUabbqTeNiRNV1P7aDIxKLObI5beDqk41AqhCJe75X0e8jicrP9euTkte7WehJ5FFwjN11gisvoPAGLHWW9W8CWI18AtCr6TrEquR43Hwh/s1600/jiffy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBoYUo3SO9QMycuaOsON-B-DO5odqVnX4RUBUabbqTeNiRNV1P7aDIxKLObI5beDqk41AqhCJe75X0e8jicrP9euTkte7WehJ5FFwjN11gisvoPAGLHWW9W8CWI18AtCr6TrEquR43Hwh/s400/jiffy.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We were up early with a 4:30am alarm! Ugh, I hate alarms! But this time it was worth it… We bundled up
with all the layers we could find and drove over to Mather’s Point to watch the
beautiful sunrise!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBB4aPANEAxZrgcl4ECPRL5WSA1kAMlmheuYQ2jFMGh6aBpjvY2BTISvxZDy4ZI0T1TS7k3QZQzydn_QpmXRDVXM7dYO0Nf6tm8k-NXzfkZqzkf4jjra4TddBmIqzGxp0T2fgOpUOI77M/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBB4aPANEAxZrgcl4ECPRL5WSA1kAMlmheuYQ2jFMGh6aBpjvY2BTISvxZDy4ZI0T1TS7k3QZQzydn_QpmXRDVXM7dYO0Nf6tm8k-NXzfkZqzkf4jjra4TddBmIqzGxp0T2fgOpUOI77M/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-15.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrnmOBEBy_Mp6YX_r9hBx_lRbv8zwmcCEpaYb579aWs_WJPCCnGK8m-sgNP_p2BTrmTIqM8ELzYfgmQ2rucd1-Zvplcb1Cs5DTCm8ZgMK4jpu8WWywC3DxyB8E0X9K2QURCYtl44jOhM2/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrnmOBEBy_Mp6YX_r9hBx_lRbv8zwmcCEpaYb579aWs_WJPCCnGK8m-sgNP_p2BTrmTIqM8ELzYfgmQ2rucd1-Zvplcb1Cs5DTCm8ZgMK4jpu8WWywC3DxyB8E0X9K2QURCYtl44jOhM2/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-16.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I had wanted to show Aaron El Tavor, an old historic hotel,
built in the early 1900’s that I had had lunch at with my parents, 7 years ago
for my mom’s 60<sup>th</sup> birthday. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgFFDZZYZP80KfAuCixT8aetKBxyF10XpreocsJL1uOmD0jktFZFLbvX6SGDrkgmB5YjZcN7K5dTvAk6ohRG21xsAHjRDrdnZSicjw2Drh_ZSAUyXbtKJVUrtMWciYGRxV01MQ38LhmcH/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgFFDZZYZP80KfAuCixT8aetKBxyF10XpreocsJL1uOmD0jktFZFLbvX6SGDrkgmB5YjZcN7K5dTvAk6ohRG21xsAHjRDrdnZSicjw2Drh_ZSAUyXbtKJVUrtMWciYGRxV01MQ38LhmcH/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-20.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7kJD-4FyLzDsASJBZ0cWpL00zi1mhbVmU4rdCWXFvHfwI3osMP_I8ns9L2L9cOv6hjw6Lm6m5qA8XezOW5Xu2ZDXewVPUFuxorr8szLWpK7y0axY2VtSWNuBdGXv5-7m8VvDqg10BTq3/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7kJD-4FyLzDsASJBZ0cWpL00zi1mhbVmU4rdCWXFvHfwI3osMP_I8ns9L2L9cOv6hjw6Lm6m5qA8XezOW5Xu2ZDXewVPUFuxorr8szLWpK7y0axY2VtSWNuBdGXv5-7m8VvDqg10BTq3/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-18.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I was hoping they had a coffee shop, but got even luckier when the
concierge invited us to go ahead and help ourselves to some coffee upstairs in
the mezzanine! SCORE! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8do-wmb5Zsx1wfDMCSNxl1N27yJiaAYDxi69hYmk-_TQacAbFiiuiOaYmoD7-a0pfSr3iG9O70fRPIyLtG_Rp_5hpxkMvhwGLPjDcfTh61s3NVP4MyNcnZ9f49H602HkGSakknmvZfEx/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8do-wmb5Zsx1wfDMCSNxl1N27yJiaAYDxi69hYmk-_TQacAbFiiuiOaYmoD7-a0pfSr3iG9O70fRPIyLtG_Rp_5hpxkMvhwGLPjDcfTh61s3NVP4MyNcnZ9f49H602HkGSakknmvZfEx/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-19.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKC8dKf_xfFKPBXAUAZ2hLtwwhLDcQ38Zxp9B7cXb7Hkri9MAqDuW74yBRHUyWLmyCip9fboh5sgTBIrOnUbh2jJZAi6B1_jApsjItyW11FfmguBAPsn1xFigjQSeUHlJ5PhbR8nZPnYyS/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKC8dKf_xfFKPBXAUAZ2hLtwwhLDcQ38Zxp9B7cXb7Hkri9MAqDuW74yBRHUyWLmyCip9fboh5sgTBIrOnUbh2jJZAi6B1_jApsjItyW11FfmguBAPsn1xFigjQSeUHlJ5PhbR8nZPnYyS/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We had a couple more last looks at the canyon after coffee...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilXwz26DGIdUtkZlUQkvZoJt8D7hrEAYn5lHzAZZ5pXUHQesyzkL8QIB8yvlGbujR1msztW0kciWr78lZIgA_LhFEs25dGk0d7_AxysdE8PoIB7tdDBYQ_n3ZaA7-2A08CrgMWh87olhr/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilXwz26DGIdUtkZlUQkvZoJt8D7hrEAYn5lHzAZZ5pXUHQesyzkL8QIB8yvlGbujR1msztW0kciWr78lZIgA_LhFEs25dGk0d7_AxysdE8PoIB7tdDBYQ_n3ZaA7-2A08CrgMWh87olhr/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-17.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaO8AK553tRnl5U_vXhjLWQ6lm-2ik241QAITWG3xB_IumHv_6BsI_X9sUOo99kPfK3fEnJ0abjdB5qvgBbgo8uJnJ7bNtFCk-Ko3QwXePBIcGvkhfjJRLhfn_vOFZBGYRQl4RNxuAYzU/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaO8AK553tRnl5U_vXhjLWQ6lm-2ik241QAITWG3xB_IumHv_6BsI_X9sUOo99kPfK3fEnJ0abjdB5qvgBbgo8uJnJ7bNtFCk-Ko3QwXePBIcGvkhfjJRLhfn_vOFZBGYRQl4RNxuAYzU/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2ujvkOAYTNfKUBtpQ5cGPbZ_K8fv5IqqwcZms6MK7vcKThUiFkRdaFuWR-o-Ww1r7siY9JYSr6-CuVbXv4zKvIJS_hJgcW-g5fD2W0RHtlg5XJ2CMu3JEuna05jB73aditgpHmjdyxVL/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2ujvkOAYTNfKUBtpQ5cGPbZ_K8fv5IqqwcZms6MK7vcKThUiFkRdaFuWR-o-Ww1r7siY9JYSr6-CuVbXv4zKvIJS_hJgcW-g5fD2W0RHtlg5XJ2CMu3JEuna05jB73aditgpHmjdyxVL/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-21.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYeZktYq-xBKGBB-lPix_ThZ_vO6D02ovWAojB_-549uiBkdipybGLGo0EqU_xwIczftxYJw5866z1fMYl6A-AR8jwdbSR7HVKMebR1jFuau8vgqKbMx6MILIlIsmhRDjnKawAI1HfZES/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYeZktYq-xBKGBB-lPix_ThZ_vO6D02ovWAojB_-549uiBkdipybGLGo0EqU_xwIczftxYJw5866z1fMYl6A-AR8jwdbSR7HVKMebR1jFuau8vgqKbMx6MILIlIsmhRDjnKawAI1HfZES/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-9.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
... did a load of laundry at the campgrounds, tore down camp and jumped back on the road! We’re getting pretty good at this whole putting up and tearing down of camp! We’ve got it under 45 minutes! We’re also getting really good at killing bugs with our 4 runner! Poor guy looked so nice when we bought him last week and now this! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaNOpQkaP9m0tb4XEuRMmdKL5jXhGY8YmWUWKSskBZp9PasCeHLzQpTmfyapsaVTijsxsPS5iIoV-iECkZLKi-LgncOaUjaHWkf2CbrUlAsmJCBEKEV3W1wphOjf85FV2xGlYVGm1SZ79/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaNOpQkaP9m0tb4XEuRMmdKL5jXhGY8YmWUWKSskBZp9PasCeHLzQpTmfyapsaVTijsxsPS5iIoV-iECkZLKi-LgncOaUjaHWkf2CbrUlAsmJCBEKEV3W1wphOjf85FV2xGlYVGm1SZ79/s1600/Grand+Canyon+blog+horiz-25.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
After seeing all those elk at the Grand Canyon and signs for mountain lions, I’m just hoping bugs are all that meet the hood! :) Off to Zion National Park! </div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-34491509404994766212013-04-27T23:59:00.000-07:002013-04-28T14:36:25.416-07:00Our last day in Sedona...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="border-bottom: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
We woke up with the sun, once
again, but this time decided to get some morning fishing in at “the pool” near
our campsite. We couldn’t possibly go
fishing though without a little snack – so we roasted some hot dogs for
breakfast! Hey, we’re camping, so whatever!</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWusMwUsJYiFw2X7v8Eh4PDLgh2q-pZEAys2Js0yOn39Z8tEY-G3LfcBw7fwOUMw4LE9rXeouUq4upUJwBmgjTxYBsm1jcIrK6jefJ08fabMt02tzodkoAcQyz1D1udkXR2rbMmzt7QKxZ/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWusMwUsJYiFw2X7v8Eh4PDLgh2q-pZEAys2Js0yOn39Z8tEY-G3LfcBw7fwOUMw4LE9rXeouUq4upUJwBmgjTxYBsm1jcIrK6jefJ08fabMt02tzodkoAcQyz1D1udkXR2rbMmzt7QKxZ/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
There’s this ONE giant trout in the pool... and we were hoping that if we came at sunrise, which is when the ranger said the fish bite the most, that <o:p></o:p>we’d FINALLY catch him! But that stupid thing wouldn’t touch our bait! We practically dropped it on his head and he could care less. No fish dinner for us tonight. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGiUBhn-XCyRkIZCjiYKVoouLmWpEaCTP7tPPlqUi3ah9F85Io2ToIWTGOUbdJUxE7wu3xE1vkzh94XPNdAat7dru6uywEXnOB7GbH1nJuhixsXk9AJeUatiTekfAvdLKWc_UGbrXDdyyD/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGiUBhn-XCyRkIZCjiYKVoouLmWpEaCTP7tPPlqUi3ah9F85Io2ToIWTGOUbdJUxE7wu3xE1vkzh94XPNdAat7dru6uywEXnOB7GbH1nJuhixsXk9AJeUatiTekfAvdLKWc_UGbrXDdyyD/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
To cheer us up, we drove a mile or so, over to Indian
Gardens for our regular muffin breakfast!
We know that most of the places we’ll be staying in the next 20-30 days
won’t have cute general stores or yummy baked goods, so we had to take
advantage of it while we had it! <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I started feeling terrible during breakfast, so I popped a
couple advil and took at nap at the campsite.
We’d planned to check out slide rock today, but I just couldn’t pull it
together. Laying down, and getting an
article in, here and there, of my new “Life & Style” Magazine was about all
I could do! It’s been years since I’ve
read celebrity gossip mags! I didn’t
even know Reese had a baby, or that Amanda Bines was going off the deep end. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
My 2<sup>nd</sup> wind came around 4pm, so we headed into
town for some scissors and a couple pens.
lol Yep, it was an exciting day in Sedona folks! I can redeem the beginning of our day with
the end of our day though, we did a little hike to see the creek from high
above the cliffs…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6s0rPuDsFerNofeOK_7EVZ6lGralSNedKN8X80gUpyH7PzRXAP6wRkhq4P-WyXjB_yFcWRi0zaRIDs_WN06ZLMRg28NnntzFJ6JRtRpyd-3zGC0IVIVxyUNdYjTD-2okO0CD4avnGx5M/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6s0rPuDsFerNofeOK_7EVZ6lGralSNedKN8X80gUpyH7PzRXAP6wRkhq4P-WyXjB_yFcWRi0zaRIDs_WN06ZLMRg28NnntzFJ6JRtRpyd-3zGC0IVIVxyUNdYjTD-2okO0CD4avnGx5M/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-4.jpg" /></a> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIze_4duDStx3OqJptNSNiYN047Ur9uwhnGL8_NBudN8_Qoc31w5WhcoGa5dj_nu6o1l1L1_zvf3fBFydmV2_zm6rjYWcnhHIRKOKk6LGLQWXy0XFkDpyUzuTHEEWyxAeE4BE4Hj9RDy8Q/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIze_4duDStx3OqJptNSNiYN047Ur9uwhnGL8_NBudN8_Qoc31w5WhcoGa5dj_nu6o1l1L1_zvf3fBFydmV2_zm6rjYWcnhHIRKOKk6LGLQWXy0XFkDpyUzuTHEEWyxAeE4BE4Hj9RDy8Q/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOhWeniNvfuKUaLePBoSPnj0sCYap9bDemTdg_pW_MNXEEIQeKAbf4aOACVbPYq5-mbcD3LmbQv5SevH8KU70p4rCt2HuW7IMQhXQtX4h356CrHCDCAm8v3S3CPCGR0vuHCRLt59xc1Vv/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOhWeniNvfuKUaLePBoSPnj0sCYap9bDemTdg_pW_MNXEEIQeKAbf4aOACVbPYq5-mbcD3LmbQv5SevH8KU70p4rCt2HuW7IMQhXQtX4h356CrHCDCAm8v3S3CPCGR0vuHCRLt59xc1Vv/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-7.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
…and we gave fishing one last effort and caught 3 fish (all of which we threw back because they either taste terrible when cooked, or were just too small to make cleaning and cooking them worth it!) Lucky little guys got a 2<sup>nd</sup> chance at creek life! </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCdydqAFwSRxImPP313WoBTo3e7jLcFgq8QeZQxrvYFN8pzDyydFaA6Hags7_Di2OAZhYJRli6SXvAIFBKQSZx1BAQ7bw5K7_UN45v_Q52gHULJRHjzYgfcg7mRdL-2vpJT-k45eTmUAH/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCdydqAFwSRxImPP313WoBTo3e7jLcFgq8QeZQxrvYFN8pzDyydFaA6Hags7_Di2OAZhYJRli6SXvAIFBKQSZx1BAQ7bw5K7_UN45v_Q52gHULJRHjzYgfcg7mRdL-2vpJT-k45eTmUAH/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-9.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_l928U7Cz1dNPbOZJVBWBBHaM1R5HnP-ykLSIWpAegbgv7P8vySdN4Is9SvNbjpUIja3Szznjeas5EHgoT54SrePKYrwsXDcYce6-T15dh7pMj1PehIko8x5DDk9OYV2eAsQ8CEhrkMp/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_l928U7Cz1dNPbOZJVBWBBHaM1R5HnP-ykLSIWpAegbgv7P8vySdN4Is9SvNbjpUIja3Szznjeas5EHgoT54SrePKYrwsXDcYce6-T15dh7pMj1PehIko8x5DDk9OYV2eAsQ8CEhrkMp/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog-8.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GV5Lqoi34F-DcUCgBgKuU7H2JUYb00kgXk_Tq9booO6cTG0vs6Dok_vw30TUHZc9nIitFbA_FOgZaIylbO-4BPFkNXoVh0k8EzIRhu1F21ThridduTYRxH8FaP12RR35jQQQ2yov58xV/s1600/Sedona+day+3+blog+vert-+fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GV5Lqoi34F-DcUCgBgKuU7H2JUYb00kgXk_Tq9booO6cTG0vs6Dok_vw30TUHZc9nIitFbA_FOgZaIylbO-4BPFkNXoVh0k8EzIRhu1F21ThridduTYRxH8FaP12RR35jQQQ2yov58xV/s640/Sedona+day+3+blog+vert-+fish.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: center;">We had dinner by the fire and watched an episode of Modern Family in the tent… the same episode we tried to watch last night but that I fell asleep to.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Hey, this camping thing is tiring!</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Tomorrow we’re driving up to Flagstaff for breakfast and then on to the Grand Canyon! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; text-align: center;">J</span><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-67300287076559878512013-04-26T10:47:00.000-07:002013-04-26T10:47:49.642-07:00Stunning Sedona!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
On Wednesday morning, we packed the 4 runner to the brim...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9HqdHKlG7k5VMUL5KqpRwOQaS4UMVd0RLAP8E8VWSuDSgyIdq-lwficzVzB0JvJCYdyy1KtPejbbyVkiODVCvibKiqEfY1cuIwbMZjkM0jPMH9o2M44o-6TIJYWP3-s0zfm65s5g8cd6/s1600/Arizona+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9HqdHKlG7k5VMUL5KqpRwOQaS4UMVd0RLAP8E8VWSuDSgyIdq-lwficzVzB0JvJCYdyy1KtPejbbyVkiODVCvibKiqEfY1cuIwbMZjkM0jPMH9o2M44o-6TIJYWP3-s0zfm65s5g8cd6/s1600/Arizona+2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
...said goodbye to Sarah, Caleb, Bella, Tank and their home...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHBLzDZzrTv_Pev1avPcLPFV5SuZdnl_XbQgmt0Qbby9mRPxaxGMuxPSWbNncIXyASFWZYVI3MFI1r8G-TxzlYTA_45siAln88ORuSTy-uOG2oh5Z1tsmH2SuHIpdS-jFEYK1EHYL40Qq/s1600/Arizona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHBLzDZzrTv_Pev1avPcLPFV5SuZdnl_XbQgmt0Qbby9mRPxaxGMuxPSWbNncIXyASFWZYVI3MFI1r8G-TxzlYTA_45siAln88ORuSTy-uOG2oh5Z1tsmH2SuHIpdS-jFEYK1EHYL40Qq/s1600/Arizona.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and drove 90 miles north to Sedona, where we checked in here at Manzanita Campground!We purchased an "America the Beautiful" year pass ($80) which gets us into all National parks for free AND gives us 1/2 price at most campsites! SCORE, right?!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEv_4QFT8By8eGEC3KLo5js86gB3qf0-PFN4-gy1JrbHDuMiO87SwDy_ecV5wusEsnacFBSSjQZ3Yeat3LCQMUCf82sNy-iD5b9n9BGBrrSK0Sn3n4By4-2AFvDU9sjDqrJpbPEzl0WTh/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEv_4QFT8By8eGEC3KLo5js86gB3qf0-PFN4-gy1JrbHDuMiO87SwDy_ecV5wusEsnacFBSSjQZ3Yeat3LCQMUCf82sNy-iD5b9n9BGBrrSK0Sn3n4By4-2AFvDU9sjDqrJpbPEzl0WTh/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-12.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So, this is our site, which is 50 feet from this creek, and it was only $9.00 a night! I thought that was only possible in South East Asia! I'm loving this whole camping thing!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZN_nY0v-R6HkHS_7DBVvyPebGRhpp9h7wTZrlNSkghEZ6vbXJu0wUKRN_6noC5DSWtAG30JJ0Ih__gdEkCK3aH0D8RLaRPqDkB2xKJ4xEEL7kTUSY0k_KKqjEZcggo6IdkwR-EQuOE9Qo/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-+diptich+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZN_nY0v-R6HkHS_7DBVvyPebGRhpp9h7wTZrlNSkghEZ6vbXJu0wUKRN_6noC5DSWtAG30JJ0Ih__gdEkCK3aH0D8RLaRPqDkB2xKJ4xEEL7kTUSY0k_KKqjEZcggo6IdkwR-EQuOE9Qo/s640/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-+diptich+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We also picked up a 5 days fishing license, so we could fish on said creek (Oak Creek)! The first day in Sedona, we found a couple worms under the rocks, but the hook kept getting stuck on fallen trees...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUokeCMKkpoNr3Wv9NqO3WHbpmzdLM4S-5hIeUgdwUQX5-IiAvorIf5NMMyuZbRacAyKsNeaEI59bcsyAms3gpLzcgDtXJjaKpk8p2loJLrXLFrPk1iuJE_cky89gcIqc5D7r1yWGVPngT/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-+diptich+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUokeCMKkpoNr3Wv9NqO3WHbpmzdLM4S-5hIeUgdwUQX5-IiAvorIf5NMMyuZbRacAyKsNeaEI59bcsyAms3gpLzcgDtXJjaKpk8p2loJLrXLFrPk1iuJE_cky89gcIqc5D7r1yWGVPngT/s640/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-+diptich+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So, we drove a couple miles over to Indian Gardens, a darling general store where we picked up some worms...</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFve1gC_pqtb2BRaJPbNGcAldE5By-Y7MFqIifwS6KrL30ff3v3tP1xNPl_c9IITvIaKeP3WJ8jU3HtGVAeg1UPAk4Yg4FT0hIU8gU-q2I2YGgB5CCRqfjHIm_ZyFCfV_rRaHRUCugeTW/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFve1gC_pqtb2BRaJPbNGcAldE5By-Y7MFqIifwS6KrL30ff3v3tP1xNPl_c9IITvIaKeP3WJ8jU3HtGVAeg1UPAk4Yg4FT0hIU8gU-q2I2YGgB5CCRqfjHIm_ZyFCfV_rRaHRUCugeTW/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-31.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
bought a couple treats, and spent the next 3 mornings having fresh muffins from their bakery!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyiDiREClnTtugO6-B8i65gs-sFyImGK0hArLLPoNZCR4xLo3acH5R0s3LOlHB-4zp-WZq46eirBsiGt-edp7CXtPOUz6BlGLaWk2RnoryF5lsUCA4hRCBzp_gtqhchXVxcjJvsCNKA1y/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyiDiREClnTtugO6-B8i65gs-sFyImGK0hArLLPoNZCR4xLo3acH5R0s3LOlHB-4zp-WZq46eirBsiGt-edp7CXtPOUz6BlGLaWk2RnoryF5lsUCA4hRCBzp_gtqhchXVxcjJvsCNKA1y/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-101.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When we got back to the campsite, we walked along the creek, exploring the area, gawking at the stunning red rock mountains on either side, and finding good fishing holes along the way!</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWahjO2UjSjKZaAdc-a-bnTBfieQAiDZn7w7MkdiYWmDl73fqJOejJUsPWM8QwhHoG5M2pt539Tbww3HoYNtvnVnE5YAUkt_pi1MRGuWqcxKIBs-gJt-i7aZOJ-GgVrve-CD8Hpd4eZSaG/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWahjO2UjSjKZaAdc-a-bnTBfieQAiDZn7w7MkdiYWmDl73fqJOejJUsPWM8QwhHoG5M2pt539Tbww3HoYNtvnVnE5YAUkt_pi1MRGuWqcxKIBs-gJt-i7aZOJ-GgVrve-CD8Hpd4eZSaG/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-23.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwssCfTIXfgWmooeYaZAbyxumurXf4_UoHbfSSzl01wm36tBnayu32NsPJ5rO0GXlQp1gp5llZXS62EFI9aTn19pjcRHN3DFMOiGRT4BQtQQG87Ly-0tdrrcGNrK0Z_dDQPWKr3Ajm_V0P/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwssCfTIXfgWmooeYaZAbyxumurXf4_UoHbfSSzl01wm36tBnayu32NsPJ5rO0GXlQp1gp5llZXS62EFI9aTn19pjcRHN3DFMOiGRT4BQtQQG87Ly-0tdrrcGNrK0Z_dDQPWKr3Ajm_V0P/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-29.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJjn-A7JOd6YAFWtQoj-cSO9LWq1T_PUzgIrPnCl-3pinTZfd3IEMLiRpTahV-qtY_AVOEp_qZdVBRx_XWdVK1dgp-E9bMZcMevDaptIR4T0OQTSf93WK1_zPDmetwsK-SdiLlVYytNtL/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJjn-A7JOd6YAFWtQoj-cSO9LWq1T_PUzgIrPnCl-3pinTZfd3IEMLiRpTahV-qtY_AVOEp_qZdVBRx_XWdVK1dgp-E9bMZcMevDaptIR4T0OQTSf93WK1_zPDmetwsK-SdiLlVYytNtL/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguL3qlu9OdD2W2CvvrG4Ew8_aLRLVfUXfoi20b_TpXgulGnXE-AoC0W-Gu0IJHZX3-N1-WGJyzCXhF85hLlX1gepzhgGumqGwA-kfLiXYn5NQ-KZHrdbqQDxoKZQ1tcKcxqVmhzECuKl5o/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguL3qlu9OdD2W2CvvrG4Ew8_aLRLVfUXfoi20b_TpXgulGnXE-AoC0W-Gu0IJHZX3-N1-WGJyzCXhF85hLlX1gepzhgGumqGwA-kfLiXYn5NQ-KZHrdbqQDxoKZQ1tcKcxqVmhzECuKl5o/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-28.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The sky here is sooooo blue, and the air is sooo clean! I'm in heaven!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_MUmgBHWUzxSPlAPu0AeCKdx5DoNNb-dQt1LDLstoE1GAYEGw5EaI9rkcbt4_hLZK4XYsJ0TSJJMmKZ2ikdwt5ceoXPyJAoCDN3uuARDAao3HkJTlTuiSN16DD1ra6OcHlRuh2mOv1Re/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_MUmgBHWUzxSPlAPu0AeCKdx5DoNNb-dQt1LDLstoE1GAYEGw5EaI9rkcbt4_hLZK4XYsJ0TSJJMmKZ2ikdwt5ceoXPyJAoCDN3uuARDAao3HkJTlTuiSN16DD1ra6OcHlRuh2mOv1Re/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-30.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CThW30SVFRFjRsde0xkwfy3JpLN2raotIVGR4_zsN2L29JzU_FONzlxc50XypobnIwFed7RF2jIWzbp6m9TwneP184ckFIn2h7JmL4ntT2O9GlPKlzTmsEvGRkG6vZVwfgydFyvri_t8/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CThW30SVFRFjRsde0xkwfy3JpLN2raotIVGR4_zsN2L29JzU_FONzlxc50XypobnIwFed7RF2jIWzbp6m9TwneP184ckFIn2h7JmL4ntT2O9GlPKlzTmsEvGRkG6vZVwfgydFyvri_t8/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-11.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We also found this GIGANTIC Blue Heron (3-4 feet tall), and by found, I guess I mean more of, almost killed by! The thing flew right over our heads! It looks like a dinosaur bird and sounded like a tree falling over! I'd never seen one before and was completely mesmerized! </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2jKSMHkI5N9wa0ab6lLICypqomV924nnb4gBVrbbeXvXkY9jCnWUnPxYVGqunM2kkjaAwD7qfep1XWblZBWKr0Ems-_JssHgXIvwqo4LIAjNezmr0no8urhHbPmlU1FlSN98YADvrA_M/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2jKSMHkI5N9wa0ab6lLICypqomV924nnb4gBVrbbeXvXkY9jCnWUnPxYVGqunM2kkjaAwD7qfep1XWblZBWKr0Ems-_JssHgXIvwqo4LIAjNezmr0no8urhHbPmlU1FlSN98YADvrA_M/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-27.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When the sun began to go down, Aaron grabbed a beer and went out into the woods to collect some firewood... He found this gigantic log and took an axe to it by the fire. I told him I thought it was really sexy to watch him chop the wood, so now I think he'll do it more often! lol</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOB7XSvOpJRa43cW3YV-IcLwCQi6AisYigWkLV94E32t4AGUpsRF9VrTjz5TaRywPnXTutyLneVy6XiQ02myRjqaZzwrDWhRIUSb1JSDUdbXf-TrqEELT9DDNGVMbxAQu2M-BIJKY6NRCD/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-+diptich+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="477" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOB7XSvOpJRa43cW3YV-IcLwCQi6AisYigWkLV94E32t4AGUpsRF9VrTjz5TaRywPnXTutyLneVy6XiQ02myRjqaZzwrDWhRIUSb1JSDUdbXf-TrqEELT9DDNGVMbxAQu2M-BIJKY6NRCD/s640/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-+diptich+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
...while I chopped some veggies for dinner, <i>not quite as sexy</i>!</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaCOhLe5Y8D-b57gDBxXsZuYg3_GEwtsoLaq6-4gUP2ZPSnqbdem85MvOPXAT6nejYAZ4P50V0nd0wDSQVZh2NJEwuUPMDHGcIRw1cJZy5OGE6bxJRBwQA92c5OgrvByH-kgSvshfALzj/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaCOhLe5Y8D-b57gDBxXsZuYg3_GEwtsoLaq6-4gUP2ZPSnqbdem85MvOPXAT6nejYAZ4P50V0nd0wDSQVZh2NJEwuUPMDHGcIRw1cJZy5OGE6bxJRBwQA92c5OgrvByH-kgSvshfALzj/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-25.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Dinner is served!</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRkPXCDQNuPPoA2XbgdBFedejLMTuzjIrGRy1zuEOVVMflAaXxFC4I0hSyc-dfuiegQG4DTLa8bEs7H8zSBRsOcgpq6eMhHpWrvNp_X_FibUzC5UFBLFXG3QCDrn7kja5jnuBz8KZrzjz/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRkPXCDQNuPPoA2XbgdBFedejLMTuzjIrGRy1zuEOVVMflAaXxFC4I0hSyc-dfuiegQG4DTLa8bEs7H8zSBRsOcgpq6eMhHpWrvNp_X_FibUzC5UFBLFXG3QCDrn7kja5jnuBz8KZrzjz/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-26.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
On Thursday, we were up with the sun and headed to Indian Gardens for a breakfast muffin and some coffee! Then we drove over to another fishing spot down the road. This was my favorite, because there was a giant rock right in the middle of the creek, where I could spot the fish for Aaron! Sadly, I only spotted 2 and we didn't catch either.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeahTaQCoYC7D9JgFirJXPGetgzytOIjq0kkwTFPDYuKIuK58igpE1iKqDBqZrS8IHSWjzRLyWmDq0OyveUo6BdNumgw24SuU7CrmCCSKBMiSBbCEVH2bhZuqfXNXEXFEnaRZ7tU91MQW/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeahTaQCoYC7D9JgFirJXPGetgzytOIjq0kkwTFPDYuKIuK58igpE1iKqDBqZrS8IHSWjzRLyWmDq0OyveUo6BdNumgw24SuU7CrmCCSKBMiSBbCEVH2bhZuqfXNXEXFEnaRZ7tU91MQW/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-24.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We headed back to the campsite for some peanut butter sandwiches...</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8huZ9D-h-ileJZpL42Opwj_dmvDrskbAU378Du-afQ0_ecRmcf_jVk3NpMTyE3QZSTYhhviiPCv6bjqfov9qFtde0OlKjRybVa79ORiNzjc08pxhbgQgjyxUp04fA4GT0sKGupRDOd27C/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8huZ9D-h-ileJZpL42Opwj_dmvDrskbAU378Du-afQ0_ecRmcf_jVk3NpMTyE3QZSTYhhviiPCv6bjqfov9qFtde0OlKjRybVa79ORiNzjc08pxhbgQgjyxUp04fA4GT0sKGupRDOd27C/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-32.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... and then drove down south to Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock for a little 5 mile hike!</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4U7Ufi5frOD0UxWhCb94KpLLRsvdYJAu_07GufpFsB6wE88Wy16GIsQzfKZb3qsC4CmwuHfInyXa8XEeBggVBJZf4MjNjqOwHKyG57FGD3LSR9wfksoIT3rDnafBadOuInISQNlA1PWH3/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4U7Ufi5frOD0UxWhCb94KpLLRsvdYJAu_07GufpFsB6wE88Wy16GIsQzfKZb3qsC4CmwuHfInyXa8XEeBggVBJZf4MjNjqOwHKyG57FGD3LSR9wfksoIT3rDnafBadOuInISQNlA1PWH3/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-35.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCSSgV4ACEaiVt_8GgfvbF-Md65UGJqcZB5qIbGNfffPmiKketVzn1bqf_YeUB2n2fvVVslat-4i7nWr53hNkzf3ACRzfd-skS2oWolCpbotFjwFQdExBzXDuADEXv9QFWT0iwMfy62Fr/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-+diptich+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCSSgV4ACEaiVt_8GgfvbF-Md65UGJqcZB5qIbGNfffPmiKketVzn1bqf_YeUB2n2fvVVslat-4i7nWr53hNkzf3ACRzfd-skS2oWolCpbotFjwFQdExBzXDuADEXv9QFWT0iwMfy62Fr/s640/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-+diptich+13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
As you can see, we had the place to ourselves! :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7KpCFR_Dr2XaHGs51e80B5tfa29ups40OW0xDAnA7Yq-pJ7ZLc26DYQhj3sD7PLJjTAHvhpj6U6cxKU1EK0LGc5OVOAq8Qtws08kGNm9V37RWlzsG1ByyyM3Nzz_VMld3F97qH7uv-VH/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7KpCFR_Dr2XaHGs51e80B5tfa29ups40OW0xDAnA7Yq-pJ7ZLc26DYQhj3sD7PLJjTAHvhpj6U6cxKU1EK0LGc5OVOAq8Qtws08kGNm9V37RWlzsG1ByyyM3Nzz_VMld3F97qH7uv-VH/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-100.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXHYmozg1Pvfca8sxiKPkgTM-MlzFo4CMuW8frpK02ls1APdlmjocV8jQu2QEcujgx7JDAMZhCrsCrdX2So4D-eU8-B7X7_KjYos8w-D3GZU0k5Rzi_n0Bb-SWyfakF0u2dRvorKeU-Fx/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXHYmozg1Pvfca8sxiKPkgTM-MlzFo4CMuW8frpK02ls1APdlmjocV8jQu2QEcujgx7JDAMZhCrsCrdX2So4D-eU8-B7X7_KjYos8w-D3GZU0k5Rzi_n0Bb-SWyfakF0u2dRvorKeU-Fx/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-15.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinV3aNPQLe8IfJlFV6YzAlAEUZ-wbxd36T2iqTGupgFLB7V89RSnP6i5pHQIkoESJnnfZycxqvcpcwPpv5zLpNXJGxEqr3bitXI6QJVqGs5voYQu8JcFz61xlvmPry53ermNw3NAXBVeQv/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinV3aNPQLe8IfJlFV6YzAlAEUZ-wbxd36T2iqTGupgFLB7V89RSnP6i5pHQIkoESJnnfZycxqvcpcwPpv5zLpNXJGxEqr3bitXI6QJVqGs5voYQu8JcFz61xlvmPry53ermNw3NAXBVeQv/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-33.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGtQ6uV9ZnLyKd8XThMxa4HuTOdYy3xm-GcfJLtLDOjzu4Oh-Y1uJEjuIYczP22LXaZHLRnfSQQsDWtBSx39XLrm2Ruptaib01GI9sK4-YzBjZO0NI85cqnoUIVdJCvy3Pb3mXfPQYTkl/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGtQ6uV9ZnLyKd8XThMxa4HuTOdYy3xm-GcfJLtLDOjzu4Oh-Y1uJEjuIYczP22LXaZHLRnfSQQsDWtBSx39XLrm2Ruptaib01GI9sK4-YzBjZO0NI85cqnoUIVdJCvy3Pb3mXfPQYTkl/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-34.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIesFl8nSeQCe-tKidH7r6ukmeHljBTajq8iLy-zQciC2Gb4OFcYssyWk0w8uEes-M81LDuo_UzfmrOVHNBfDhHIdaeOdzMdC0yiAGD1fzkO7q8-rQCeNYUBPRdIx-UQgIVtppN8SeKCt/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIesFl8nSeQCe-tKidH7r6ukmeHljBTajq8iLy-zQciC2Gb4OFcYssyWk0w8uEes-M81LDuo_UzfmrOVHNBfDhHIdaeOdzMdC0yiAGD1fzkO7q8-rQCeNYUBPRdIx-UQgIVtppN8SeKCt/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-37.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_pcnxKKvMyFRfZZ8MvmTEZtB0nTT2HGtv1Uqs1NMdT5zXFW6F5GnCQKHx9CXdXhRYg_X3jNRhgPqK-L3WCMhoIlzPK17-kq32P8YKSwROZBrFlFtqmyI3hahlIeQmF-RAeZ1DUIf8hWw/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_pcnxKKvMyFRfZZ8MvmTEZtB0nTT2HGtv1Uqs1NMdT5zXFW6F5GnCQKHx9CXdXhRYg_X3jNRhgPqK-L3WCMhoIlzPK17-kq32P8YKSwROZBrFlFtqmyI3hahlIeQmF-RAeZ1DUIf8hWw/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-39.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ejDUwInjmRe-lSPXTXGv2I47u7h-Od3Oly7GxTCuvmLFbF21tdqS-bCNZ2Q4vXE4vqZFPd1cZVlZHPmsqRXHDm7su27wm7t1X1CbkQOFlIH8IIenfudaSF6wHF2om1aFr962sbEpoXgj/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ejDUwInjmRe-lSPXTXGv2I47u7h-Od3Oly7GxTCuvmLFbF21tdqS-bCNZ2Q4vXE4vqZFPd1cZVlZHPmsqRXHDm7su27wm7t1X1CbkQOFlIH8IIenfudaSF6wHF2om1aFr962sbEpoXgj/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-41.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7W4-pXwGEBlnoSiT-GpJr2j6pCjAH8BEX-x_1-50jdd9uMJuDX_Gp3LFBAEgaMVAZOwx1SOI_pkpniW7bnp2nsMu2fLV0LWgojLA3SrYJapQiRdQBeDNscc7UGQClS3S8_mPV2awiOyQv/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7W4-pXwGEBlnoSiT-GpJr2j6pCjAH8BEX-x_1-50jdd9uMJuDX_Gp3LFBAEgaMVAZOwx1SOI_pkpniW7bnp2nsMu2fLV0LWgojLA3SrYJapQiRdQBeDNscc7UGQClS3S8_mPV2awiOyQv/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-43.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hyphenhyphen4Iho_JsDbED6JCk3goMxukcFxiKqeATh5IpafZYIxssatXlndj1ecP54gI-rVpTppv16-oG1HAywj40EOtAqBQ8pQ6dVm6uUnJkaqrX1hEWoJxEbaJ4xY2xf_WY9FTmD5XCgr6IAb2/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hyphenhyphen4Iho_JsDbED6JCk3goMxukcFxiKqeATh5IpafZYIxssatXlndj1ecP54gI-rVpTppv16-oG1HAywj40EOtAqBQ8pQ6dVm6uUnJkaqrX1hEWoJxEbaJ4xY2xf_WY9FTmD5XCgr6IAb2/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-45.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2C99u-JZ9XMm79ubZtpeQt6klKNuGNIg-dxdYUKXOfgEuFDudwMbgZZdQEt06w2ZCXxf6nE8XgqaA1m3RHd4MJHRtblDDT0LKKnckrBw8AG3We_AWX6ka9ft2LCDM64ZcWwvuynQzfoNf/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2C99u-JZ9XMm79ubZtpeQt6klKNuGNIg-dxdYUKXOfgEuFDudwMbgZZdQEt06w2ZCXxf6nE8XgqaA1m3RHd4MJHRtblDDT0LKKnckrBw8AG3We_AWX6ka9ft2LCDM64ZcWwvuynQzfoNf/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-47.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We jumped back to the car after the hike and headed back to the campsite for some dinner, before heading back out to catch the sunset at Red Rock Crossing and the reflection of Cathedral rock in the water!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtqlIn5lrisZD-AlGD_MwdI2MOTivJiSepfBlHd5fpvAqNsVi-NgH4S2qfFnsbvJmRQ_y_T90gqsq1APJM8n7EiRx5O8Jnig953jrpQ61h6oCrEmeBojxB6UYaRD8qNCYaKr27CLrgScz/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtqlIn5lrisZD-AlGD_MwdI2MOTivJiSepfBlHd5fpvAqNsVi-NgH4S2qfFnsbvJmRQ_y_T90gqsq1APJM8n7EiRx5O8Jnig953jrpQ61h6oCrEmeBojxB6UYaRD8qNCYaKr27CLrgScz/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-48.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7T7A7O45v01UWhotTRpP3un-FnyFT4ltGealQm96DNqENfxArEDeii-wvTrdxp6Lqf9piie2Ti2g9-TVecLPqhm9kAB3wXldvt59ixHsAw2ifU8yYiEpqAKYdQKqgrT86zc6hTpt5RhwY/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7T7A7O45v01UWhotTRpP3un-FnyFT4ltGealQm96DNqENfxArEDeii-wvTrdxp6Lqf9piie2Ti2g9-TVecLPqhm9kAB3wXldvt59ixHsAw2ifU8yYiEpqAKYdQKqgrT86zc6hTpt5RhwY/s1600/Sedona+day+1+and+2+blog-50.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It's Friday morning here now and we were up with the sun again, did a little fishing in the creek and are now, over at Indian Gardens for a muffin and some coffee again! Not sure what today will bring, but I'm sure it'll be filled with stunning views, hiking trails, camp food, a campfire, and hopefully, <i>please God</i>, a fish!</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-50545090014181371042013-04-24T01:25:00.000-07:002013-04-24T01:38:37.422-07:00Arizona - the valley of the sun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We made it to Arizona last Thursday night, or should I say Friday morning and pulled up to my best friend Sarah's gorgeous home in Avondale, Arizona, where we spent the next 5 nights with her and her awesome husband Caleb! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffyXRSwDCcFLclcQDGIgQAdyDG-WeLq6FcdeNGBiqHLVew8wQ2twDpV3UNLYC8TaCH8egKjrrF3HEPofrV0doJothnUDgpPl6rS7K6AoAswQVBPCLb2VGTSDQHqSdZXRWJZEHxbd_FfeR/s1600/Arizona+vert-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffyXRSwDCcFLclcQDGIgQAdyDG-WeLq6FcdeNGBiqHLVew8wQ2twDpV3UNLYC8TaCH8egKjrrF3HEPofrV0doJothnUDgpPl6rS7K6AoAswQVBPCLb2VGTSDQHqSdZXRWJZEHxbd_FfeR/s1600/Arizona+vert-15.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I just have to throw this in here... Sarah is my most crafty friend! So crafty in fact, that she has her very own craft room complete with a gorgeous wall which she took 3 days to trace and hand paint! Anyone else out there swooning with me?!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGbtGCWLQEU2GQNfbOKa5odJBOubVxPYQfd0ENH00mSRSS0AFmAgwyRGrnjjLU5Ep0b8LYrDOOB8775OlBWT1bmpkIw_u98dD3fHgWXThz0VwdfS9UgCa9DsIGWJHXwS03aylpq0QzVMO/s1600/Arizona-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGbtGCWLQEU2GQNfbOKa5odJBOubVxPYQfd0ENH00mSRSS0AFmAgwyRGrnjjLU5Ep0b8LYrDOOB8775OlBWT1bmpkIw_u98dD3fHgWXThz0VwdfS9UgCa9DsIGWJHXwS03aylpq0QzVMO/s1600/Arizona-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I was so excited to be reunited with Sarah and to be back in "the valley of the sun" with Aaron, who's never been here! I'm such a sucker for playing tour guide! Poor guy had to see every house I ever lived in and all my favorite stores and restaurants!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I got up early Friday morning and had breakfast with Sarah and Caleb before they left for work and then Aaron and I drove to downtown Phoenix to pay a visit to the Social Security office, so I could officially become an Osteen! This little paper just proves I really did it! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Introducing: Mrs Osteen!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://instagram.com/jillosteen" target="_blank">(instagram pic)</a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwjcorlV5NJSMu2h8Dg7xu0ifQpVIqeSY_81WPnRLs-hINylyeXLWhcpeXPBxnQtZKiiqO-3kr7H-hBM19zLGJnt8Lvb4cJxdEwN2RdAbtbAyDL1O3clz_COeSOoApjv_RtYnAEJeviVC/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwjcorlV5NJSMu2h8Dg7xu0ifQpVIqeSY_81WPnRLs-hINylyeXLWhcpeXPBxnQtZKiiqO-3kr7H-hBM19zLGJnt8Lvb4cJxdEwN2RdAbtbAyDL1O3clz_COeSOoApjv_RtYnAEJeviVC/s640/2.jpg" width="634" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Then it was off to lunch at <a href="http://www.hob-nobs.com/" target="_blank">Hob Nobs</a>, a darling cafe in an old historic home in the heart of the Willow Historic District of downtown!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9yyrXkbzu4WwtXZKljl9ZzjoiMqXvxz6Iit5jDXIyJeVcc_pFnO6Q8Vvb0LL8CPhKEUiDE512wrNElX3YYxYXCVcEv2ck0iq117WX8u5Ly4SA-SNuavOQ8BiclYgWqEcCvEc6aA0DU58/s1600/Arizona-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9yyrXkbzu4WwtXZKljl9ZzjoiMqXvxz6Iit5jDXIyJeVcc_pFnO6Q8Vvb0LL8CPhKEUiDE512wrNElX3YYxYXCVcEv2ck0iq117WX8u5Ly4SA-SNuavOQ8BiclYgWqEcCvEc6aA0DU58/s1600/Arizona-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
If you're ever in Phoenix, do yourself a favor and stop in for lunch! Their vegetable quiche was delish!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUCpU64_CpKyAvUDJUnJvTZpDH7shnfEHyKr9aBBu_PdGWiRqiVBHNJB27nqCM011PFfoANJad7P_ku6TA-51I8Fw_pyEsZeeb-O3bHY6UDhhkxWnIcbBgVZ8m7R-Gj_ZEqFdhnirtjkv/s1600/Arizona-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUCpU64_CpKyAvUDJUnJvTZpDH7shnfEHyKr9aBBu_PdGWiRqiVBHNJB27nqCM011PFfoANJad7P_ku6TA-51I8Fw_pyEsZeeb-O3bHY6UDhhkxWnIcbBgVZ8m7R-Gj_ZEqFdhnirtjkv/s1600/Arizona-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Then, it was off to see Sarah in action at her job at Grand Canyon University! Being there and seeing her adorable office made me miss having an office job! Am I the only person out there who can relate?! There's just something about having a big desk, comfy chair, picture window and a long list of tasks to complete that makes me a little giddy! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgCqNTKRmfVAAysu8J9WRp5qZNVFPUdlXhDLmyyubvcvJURUf-Q-CED-Kh21wz0l8N8yT7ULwDkYq3rYqsQjYZIXOxp7cDT7jv2OhM0Qp8xaZBb-JSF8mi431KoekrtIa_aU0QRWA2QqE/s1600/Arizona-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgCqNTKRmfVAAysu8J9WRp5qZNVFPUdlXhDLmyyubvcvJURUf-Q-CED-Kh21wz0l8N8yT7ULwDkYq3rYqsQjYZIXOxp7cDT7jv2OhM0Qp8xaZBb-JSF8mi431KoekrtIa_aU0QRWA2QqE/s1600/Arizona-4.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
You know what else makes me giddy? Frozen Yogurt! Grand Canyon University has an actual frozen yogurt shop ON CAMPUS and Sarah's co-worker treated Aaron, Sarah and I to a bowl! SCORE.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVub0DUsyxBkfNrsq3Xe8gaxNg6GmCE7XSW2DgTscoamcfjq_CTwn2wMFufmvEySe1J2Db3ChcHizghtXZHl3zYmVEIDaF6IqYgP99X6qNN9tjL9Lx_J_5xiniLRTKEi0z9jLeuHoA7aC/s1600/Arizona+vert-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVub0DUsyxBkfNrsq3Xe8gaxNg6GmCE7XSW2DgTscoamcfjq_CTwn2wMFufmvEySe1J2Db3ChcHizghtXZHl3zYmVEIDaF6IqYgP99X6qNN9tjL9Lx_J_5xiniLRTKEi0z9jLeuHoA7aC/s1600/Arizona+vert-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
No, this isn't a 5 year old's bowl of frozen yogurt... it's mine. The secret's out - I'm a sucker for kid-style toppings! And yes, there's actually frozen yogurt under there somewhere!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenC9wJjKekrpvAGIELnL9a3lgaUh_8Of9HvAvOPZKvYls3NDOExlF9UjAwa4SBZ4QWwGmVjw6cCQmirCEg5atXz94pgBY2G-w6xh5_ooHC9vCZvB5ZxHqWa_jlrIX_l9LQ7ELk9VUi36L/s1600/Arizona-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenC9wJjKekrpvAGIELnL9a3lgaUh_8Of9HvAvOPZKvYls3NDOExlF9UjAwa4SBZ4QWwGmVjw6cCQmirCEg5atXz94pgBY2G-w6xh5_ooHC9vCZvB5ZxHqWa_jlrIX_l9LQ7ELk9VUi36L/s1600/Arizona-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Next stop on the agenda was a hang out date and backyard BBQ at the Murphy's! Have you ever seen cuter kids than these three?! They were so fun to hang out and play with, and the BBQ London Broil was the icing on the cake! Good friends and cute kids are just what the doctor ordered! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://instagram.com/jillosteen" target="_blank">(instagram pic)</a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwn1XC1kQtHv6h08SJ8xqg6xsPXqwe9qWn9YApAxCUa9wm89yGXvVVSu0Cy_Xt0wnRJvVb97bw1SGf0zXOrhyphenhyphenJazeHpXM1aP1bL-5wpR6GwbPZPAJgaCrZ5tyIH5wgyORXZb7af9ofMzo/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwn1XC1kQtHv6h08SJ8xqg6xsPXqwe9qWn9YApAxCUa9wm89yGXvVVSu0Cy_Xt0wnRJvVb97bw1SGf0zXOrhyphenhyphenJazeHpXM1aP1bL-5wpR6GwbPZPAJgaCrZ5tyIH5wgyORXZb7af9ofMzo/s640/1.jpg" width="633" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As if today wasn't enough fun... Aaron picked me up from the Murphys and we drove right on over to some more friend's house - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/twigsandtwinehome" target="_blank">Mark and Jill</a>'s, where we were met with giant hugs and big smiles from the two of them and my sweet friends Seth and Brittany and Brittany's friend Jaime, who's been reading my blog since the beginning! :) The weather was PERFECT, so we ate dinner together out on their picnic table in their GIGANTIC backyard, complete with a chicken coop and comfy furniture. We spent the next 5 hours catching up on life, sipping wine and eating Mark's homemade ice cream! I'm kinda bummed that this is the photo we took to commemorate the night, because it was practically magical outside and we never even hung out inside. lol (Sorry for posting the photo of you with your eyes closed Seth! lol) Love you guys and so blessed by your friendship!!!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_smaIdgPd3JK68w5qU6nUi8vqRdVznyJSCgpRnuNnMwFwyYlj8XXVdOtBAv-Nwe0v7e67BWFvsOLAsYTp02L49tuSuwDUAFz2cOaAEcCf1vOLkMSp5CGMhbvZQC3UYZzU2spKr1EgrKz/s1600/Arizona-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_smaIdgPd3JK68w5qU6nUi8vqRdVznyJSCgpRnuNnMwFwyYlj8XXVdOtBAv-Nwe0v7e67BWFvsOLAsYTp02L49tuSuwDUAFz2cOaAEcCf1vOLkMSp5CGMhbvZQC3UYZzU2spKr1EgrKz/s1600/Arizona-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Saturday was spent at Sarah's in-law's house down the street, who I adore! Caleb has an older brother, 3 sisters, 4 nieces, 1 nephew, a phenomenal set of parents, and a huge golden doodle named Judah! We spent the whole afternoon playing around the pool, competing in ladder ball, cooking lunch together and just enjoying time in the sun with family! :) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-Bgo-a5THzsKy7Aou7VNcSZjZrRp9B1zc4JQd0r54VHW80T05wDI5AJPZbg8K-Hbufozag5W62DWmDhQxe_1ifdPzZFBnbU91Vp9cTqFJMyaiqm-XbLdiWRpwd8447fVFOdtePpL82Df/s1600/Arizona-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-Bgo-a5THzsKy7Aou7VNcSZjZrRp9B1zc4JQd0r54VHW80T05wDI5AJPZbg8K-Hbufozag5W62DWmDhQxe_1ifdPzZFBnbU91Vp9cTqFJMyaiqm-XbLdiWRpwd8447fVFOdtePpL82Df/s1600/Arizona-9.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span id="goog_138671357"></span><span id="goog_138671358"></span>We left the family party around 5:00pm to head to the movie theater for a double date! I can't tell you how fun it is for Sarah and I to have our 2 guys together for the first time. :) And for the record, if you haven't seen it yet, buy your tickets this weekend for the movie: "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0453562/" target="_blank">42</a>"! I lllloooooovvveeeeddd it and may have even shed a few tears at the happy parts! We spent the next couple hours after the movie at Chipotle and a sporting goods store, checking out backpacking gear and buying a fishing pole!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
On Sunday morning, I went to coffee with Sarah and Caleb and then drove to Phoenix with Sarah to see one of my good friends lead worship at <a href="http://www.livingstreams.org/" target="_blank">Living Streams</a>. It was so great to be with him, my 2 best girlfriends and some other friends who I hadn't seen in years. The Murphy "party of 5" totally has my heart!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://instagram.com/jillosteen" target="_blank">(instagram pic)</a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9rpQdWsG6v9ExAzTmpTJmcRYSM0Dw3lqbTGyQ4eGP9OBkHd0ZOr57_gQJ3RbEk9UoFbzOejN3LJyq8w_-Ysoy0hg7gCZfWSfjbHia1p1JXOkthLIXFtKow8talyJqt0StFm7-en-1Y4S/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9rpQdWsG6v9ExAzTmpTJmcRYSM0Dw3lqbTGyQ4eGP9OBkHd0ZOr57_gQJ3RbEk9UoFbzOejN3LJyq8w_-Ysoy0hg7gCZfWSfjbHia1p1JXOkthLIXFtKow8talyJqt0StFm7-en-1Y4S/s640/photo+(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The Murphys, Sarah and I all had lunch together at Paradise Bakery after church, which was delicious and gave us even more time to catch up! After lunch, Sarah and I went back to hang with the boys at home. The rest of the night was spent hunkered down in the house in our PJ's! Aaron and I made a stir fry for dinner for them, which was fun and we spent the rest of the night lounging in the loft watching the new 007!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-Q_xHU12iXh4LICfrnZfcIaV5auoXMXXiHsvh4BkDRevecpy66euFR3Grsaloraos7tXC7O96TD1OviK8NvWQ_C4NOCiJo1Qqo-08D4_3rBkezkSo7z9xWs4rrIkTKP9C3pdmSR4C3iY/s1600/Arizona-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-Q_xHU12iXh4LICfrnZfcIaV5auoXMXXiHsvh4BkDRevecpy66euFR3Grsaloraos7tXC7O96TD1OviK8NvWQ_C4NOCiJo1Qqo-08D4_3rBkezkSo7z9xWs4rrIkTKP9C3pdmSR4C3iY/s1600/Arizona-10.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
On Monday, Sarah took off work so we could have some more girl time together! :) We spent most of the morning creating her BRAND NEW BLOG! I love when friends create blogs! But I'm especially excited about this one, because it's called:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://thatcherbaby.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bringing Home Baby Thatcher!</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(Home from Uganda that is!) Yep, Sarah and Caleb are adopting a baby from Africa! I practically cried when she told Aaron and I our first night here. Then I totally cried when I read her <a href="http://thatcherbaby.blogspot.com/2013/04/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html" target="_blank">first blog post</a> before she posted it, and then I cried AGAIN when I wrote a little message on her facebook wall about how great of a mom she'll be. I'm just so excited for them! Check out their blog when you get a chance, and if you feel led, throw out a little donation for them, PLEASE! The cost of adoption is like buying a brand new Lexus, so they can use all the extra help they can get! You can actually be a part of bringing baby Thatcher home! :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrzbZZDy2QbykUxyv3719pOJDaP9ZovIFLFln56ehWlI2KaaZhJPtxNyVY0PTrqMNft3y03HBWsiUA4H3DnL2uLinZzAXnbrn1Cge_QMwx4p-dzvsN6YOJ40isPXR0soCMtsL9ylDAQFs/s1600/Arizona-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrzbZZDy2QbykUxyv3719pOJDaP9ZovIFLFln56ehWlI2KaaZhJPtxNyVY0PTrqMNft3y03HBWsiUA4H3DnL2uLinZzAXnbrn1Cge_QMwx4p-dzvsN6YOJ40isPXR0soCMtsL9ylDAQFs/s1600/Arizona-11.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Sarah's sister in law, Aubrey, came over with her "little pipsqueak" as they call her, Piper! Aubrey also writes a fantastic blog about being a new mom, natural birth, etc! <a href="http://parentingthepipsqueak.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Check it out here</a>! Is that not the happiest little baby?!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhgfHh1cZZtwVazfMnNHpnzfgcylfr0UHP8sUG1Zbij_9XH2GeH72PDuWRuZeD1Z1VE8sY7a7kCmL2nmoU4vQ_sMnVg1RmCT311Ng78888gCvYzUrcb1to3PqHe0pM5ce1xYlMKXQdCx4/s1600/Arizona-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhgfHh1cZZtwVazfMnNHpnzfgcylfr0UHP8sUG1Zbij_9XH2GeH72PDuWRuZeD1Z1VE8sY7a7kCmL2nmoU4vQ_sMnVg1RmCT311Ng78888gCvYzUrcb1to3PqHe0pM5ce1xYlMKXQdCx4/s1600/Arizona-12.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Around lunch time, Sarah and I drove over to have lunch with my long time friend Liz! Her son was in my youth group almost 10 years ago and has now grown into a <a href="http://rynenorman.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">fabulous musician</a>! Spending time with Liz was sooo refreshing! She's the life of the party and you can't help but be in a good mood when she's around! Love you Liz! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBa-zaw1WQvgZipFzTrIZzA_UiLwW-87647sBmrj2f6RLN0qiuQNfyU0m8qBnlEKD3LnkX-T-451jHSRpNwClFYpdRPU0Ca3-2zGJBejLEtYkcben0tfa_hgWaabosFL4p2M6bKW51zyJ/s1600/arizona-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBa-zaw1WQvgZipFzTrIZzA_UiLwW-87647sBmrj2f6RLN0qiuQNfyU0m8qBnlEKD3LnkX-T-451jHSRpNwClFYpdRPU0Ca3-2zGJBejLEtYkcben0tfa_hgWaabosFL4p2M6bKW51zyJ/s1600/arizona-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Just a little updated besties shot! :) Thanks A.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGqSNPVI0P4kAJoYQm_pFtUL272RXjekt9vrb4QWHgY2VF6LtRE_1IGIoprYHbyc2yucuOZ8bORCCeSsy2U2GlyVz0CNFKroRqG_ksBnV56XBW7sLmCIULmab5D1rL0-oB20m9GIYFGF6/s1600/Arizona-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGqSNPVI0P4kAJoYQm_pFtUL272RXjekt9vrb4QWHgY2VF6LtRE_1IGIoprYHbyc2yucuOZ8bORCCeSsy2U2GlyVz0CNFKroRqG_ksBnV56XBW7sLmCIULmab5D1rL0-oB20m9GIYFGF6/s1600/Arizona-15.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Next on the agenda was something Aaron and I have been looking forward to for years - A hang out sesh / mentoring time with some of our favorite photographers, Andrew and Emily Fleming, who own <a href="http://andrewjadephoto.com/" target="_blank">Andrew Jade Photography</a> in Arizona. We've been following them since they started and are probably their biggest fans, so to get to spend a couple hours with them, racking their brains with business questions, was INVALUABLE! Thank you, thank you, thank you if you're reading this! Oh, and as if meeting with them wasn't enough, we actually had the opportunity to 2nd shoot with Andrew later that night! AWESOME!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lKxudOCooeFhikAW9RvbKzKMaPlwwvI_7DSB1EAtf07TbiyCds5sfbzrEpX_7gdHHyDPa2gq7_BnOlrCjzkTlq_86RXrteb5Hli1bSQMuk1wxu2_7JjJCI2_3rbZcWzcc8Ppcj0POIXB/s1600/Arizona-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lKxudOCooeFhikAW9RvbKzKMaPlwwvI_7DSB1EAtf07TbiyCds5sfbzrEpX_7gdHHyDPa2gq7_BnOlrCjzkTlq_86RXrteb5Hli1bSQMuk1wxu2_7JjJCI2_3rbZcWzcc8Ppcj0POIXB/s1600/Arizona-16.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
On Tuesday morning, I pulled myself out of bed early to get in a mini photo shoot with Sarah and Caleb to create a photo banner for the top of their adoption blog before they headed off to work! :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmN6YXjSBFlIr3OycXPFoMFwNZrZZ0K4gnqbpQujnaljClCS7IaRvNahzPoqxFMoSZwQdfZbaQBDWmHwjxws-JJ7mat1uovap-QfI6Qx2ZQesglBHSApClGuYwsb5tZtGPB1cY-C-OCmye/s1600/Thatcher+shoot-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmN6YXjSBFlIr3OycXPFoMFwNZrZZ0K4gnqbpQujnaljClCS7IaRvNahzPoqxFMoSZwQdfZbaQBDWmHwjxws-JJ7mat1uovap-QfI6Qx2ZQesglBHSApClGuYwsb5tZtGPB1cY-C-OCmye/s1600/Thatcher+shoot-1-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Then I headed back home to get ready, paid Target a little visit, then spent an hour in Starbucks sipping my vanilla latte and returning e-mails. As a side note: I LOVE E-MAILS! I'm such a huge fan of reading people's thoughts. Then I went to visit old co-workers at Millennium High School, where I used to work before I moved to Korea. Everyone was sooo welcoming, excited for me and Aaron, and so interested in hearing about all our adventures. The questions just kept coming, and if you know me, you know I love to ask and answer questions! I'm such a lover of details! At points it felt like we had all gotten together for a coffee date as 10 or so of us all huddled around the guidance office lobby chatting and catching up! Just like old times! :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Then it was off to see my super adorable friend April, who has also become a mommy of 2 beautiful girls since I left Arizona! Today was a hilarious potty training extravaganza while we visited! I'm proud to say that her oldest went "potty" 4 times while I was there, and April's been trying to get her to do that for weeks! I think someone was trying to show off for her Auntie Jillers! Either way, I had an honest glimpse at having a spontaneously peeing toddler and a baby, and was just happy that my only responsibility is to be a good wife, daughter and friend... isn't that enough, anyway?! I have so much respect for moms and for April! She is one of the best moms I know. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The rest of the night was spent hanging in the kitchen with Sarah and Caleb and grocery shopping and re-packing for our big adventure, which starts at 8:00am tomorrow morning...YAY! First stop is the DMV for my new license, then we're off to a night in Sedona, which we just decided on a couple hours ago. Who was I kidding when I thought scheduling every moment of a trip was important 4 years ago. Spontaneity is the key to adventure people, and I'm hoping that's what we have! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
See you later Phoenix! Thanks for another great time. :)</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-609002382816065740.post-67251536516957830892013-04-19T00:16:00.000-07:002013-04-24T01:28:13.715-07:00Our last few days in Cali...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My last few days in California were spent waiting for the phone to ring with the call that the title for the car we wanted to buy was ready to be picked up, eating at our favorite spots, having doughnut shop runs with my dad, shopping with my mom, driving the coast, and seeing old friends! I spent the whole afternoon with my old College RD, mentor, and close friend, Amanda... <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MhoqOqtyAinQF4f4Qi8bIV9Tvobwp4RTRa40HfzoPStj7ZFTAEPhnRUiDobLC4QotczGwqhYEbTegoLYbUrkPtPSpIiQubPorer8LZ-8ly9-u6jQheYK_UVKUHDvPR1OKFi6Y3oH43hI/s1600/California-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MhoqOqtyAinQF4f4Qi8bIV9Tvobwp4RTRa40HfzoPStj7ZFTAEPhnRUiDobLC4QotczGwqhYEbTegoLYbUrkPtPSpIiQubPorer8LZ-8ly9-u6jQheYK_UVKUHDvPR1OKFi6Y3oH43hI/s1600/California-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
... at Vanguard University, where I spent 4 years of my life and 1 year as an RA! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNQenc_NHnvYasZ4qNwE2Y5dzIUgjEM4SUdBWvDcN7D3pI3SYJWYXau7bubrLpx2-VriaxKA9ACPbW1chWpvBVcIlsD6Ad3gOUwQ-1FYzExPlckb0Q0uERK9zfnjJzMzPSVOxgO685Lqz/s1600/California-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNQenc_NHnvYasZ4qNwE2Y5dzIUgjEM4SUdBWvDcN7D3pI3SYJWYXau7bubrLpx2-VriaxKA9ACPbW1chWpvBVcIlsD6Ad3gOUwQ-1FYzExPlckb0Q0uERK9zfnjJzMzPSVOxgO685Lqz/s1600/California-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The place looked just like I remembered it, which isn't saying much, considering I graduated 10 years ago, but in a way, I loved that I came back and all my favorite hang out spots were just like they were then... one of which is the cafeteria, which is where we went for lunch, per my request! Everyone thought I was crazy to wanna eat there, but it's just about as good as it gets! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
They had EVERYTHING!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ugK-J9KndG609Lej0vhEaCyzOCamsLoK72dRe2ETgpghUYy51isAG9lFOvVB5_aH1elR3gGVrTl3_EJMZ5y49Qape-YuAHjegKiWy4X9qkU1o_iJeBkZ-5fNTRNGKiNxIIvkdEDJboYz/s1600/California-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ugK-J9KndG609Lej0vhEaCyzOCamsLoK72dRe2ETgpghUYy51isAG9lFOvVB5_aH1elR3gGVrTl3_EJMZ5y49Qape-YuAHjegKiWy4X9qkU1o_iJeBkZ-5fNTRNGKiNxIIvkdEDJboYz/s1600/California-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The next day, Aaron and I headed to The Block, which is now an outlet mall, where we did a little H&M run (surprise, surprise) and hit up the Vans Skate Park, where I used to hang out in college, making skateboarding videos... yep, skateboarding videos! "Go VUSC Digital Media Production Majors!" (<a href="http://instagram.com/jillosteen/" target="_blank">instagram pic</a>) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzK-otlT4klHL8oTvz153vrSRfQ0nJF5-6cNCMI2_tQeyjQZ1HIJWMpYtMtR312g_VvUwpQOqdg8EOKxIekZ0HOR26GbCcPoUMLzE061Bs3bTy2jxEvH4pfR1-fnSgFI7hFHbV20iuXu1/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzK-otlT4klHL8oTvz153vrSRfQ0nJF5-6cNCMI2_tQeyjQZ1HIJWMpYtMtR312g_VvUwpQOqdg8EOKxIekZ0HOR26GbCcPoUMLzE061Bs3bTy2jxEvH4pfR1-fnSgFI7hFHbV20iuXu1/s640/5.jpg" width="633" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
I joke that after spending 4 years in Korea, I'm part Korean, but it's no joke when it comes to my appetite! I've been craving Korean food since we left... So when I found out there was a Korea Town less than 10 miles from my parents house, I had to go! Aaron and I were the only caucasions in the restaurant, so we spoke Korean the whole time. They got the biggest kick out of us, and we were just thrilled to be eating bi-bim-bap and getting to practice Korean again! (<a href="http://instagram.com/jillosteen/" target="_blank">instagram pic</a>)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiCS9sL2-aJzMU0nL46lm8faNDEukFR_EqQJiCn4j_LvEx4UPDW8cvqGUaYVVhILxWHt-SWVlOOTg6dofYainy9Hy9mFUKFS4OJc_P1fcd79IuEwD0PyTEFUQljcmJlxLdmPhT9oY4mFn/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiCS9sL2-aJzMU0nL46lm8faNDEukFR_EqQJiCn4j_LvEx4UPDW8cvqGUaYVVhILxWHt-SWVlOOTg6dofYainy9Hy9mFUKFS4OJc_P1fcd79IuEwD0PyTEFUQljcmJlxLdmPhT9oY4mFn/s640/6.jpg" width="625" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Timing is a funny thing sometimes! The timing for seeing my old college roommate Lynzi, her husband Beau, and their 3 ADORABLE kids couldn't have been better. They've been living in Australia for the past 2 years and moved home to CA just a couple days ago! We were able to connect, and had the BEST 4 hours, catching up and sharing travel and life stories before we headed off to Arizona! (<a href="http://instagram.com/jillosteen/" target="_blank">instagram pic</a>) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSILmXaxfds2VZy8Mz8lOkE5ZQaHkKCZRjOWRXmTLpWuklfWmrOnBCzr6zrRxi_YUSFzppJaWChgYIENBVwRDgnLjGSrsPvQVES6TmjEUVLsYvishc7QTpT8dLg8oRby7SL1JnCPEiRJyE/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSILmXaxfds2VZy8Mz8lOkE5ZQaHkKCZRjOWRXmTLpWuklfWmrOnBCzr6zrRxi_YUSFzppJaWChgYIENBVwRDgnLjGSrsPvQVES6TmjEUVLsYvishc7QTpT8dLg8oRby7SL1JnCPEiRJyE/s640/4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The next morning, we decided to take a bike ride down to the boardwalk on the beach and over to <a href="http://www.hbdowntown.com/" target="_blank">Main Street</a> for lunch! 17 miles later, most of which were riding straight into the wind (UGH!!!), we returned to my parents house with shaky legs, sore buts and head colds! Luckily, we were happy to have had the workout, and my pancakes at <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g32513-d468005-Reviews-Sugar_Shack_Cafe-Huntington_Beach_California.html" target="_blank">Sugar Shack</a> on Main St were DEFINITELY worth the workout! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We weren't sure we were EVER going to buy a car! We were being REALLY picky because we only wanted a 4runner and preferably a white one. Sadly, there aren't many for sale and when they are, they go within days! Without boring you with all the details, I'll just say we found one, bought it and returned it to the dealership 2 minutes after we left the lot. :( The check engine light came on right away and we had that gut feeling that while it was perfect inside and out, the mechanics were probably LEMON material! Luckily the dealership realized it too and gave us our money back, which happens to be nearly unheard of!! So, we found another 4runner that was better than we had even hoped for and we patiently (<i>yeah right!</i>) waited 2 weeks for the title to be sent to the bank so we could pick it up in person and get the car registered. I'm proud to say that we paid cash, <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/home/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a> style, for our very first car together! Woot Woot! (<a href="http://instagram.com/jillosteen/" target="_blank">instagram pic</a>) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTe6QdnJ_VtjcnFjW0mebWo1o83yLTrg8KP2wLKb7hcl852EzTIe-4WPqgFM30EHDUXuxuQCo5v3XOghOJDQwv4RD-FLUhCX9yIzcEVB515oqk533h7gYslHx0A7w4ihxfW0Kcusl4QUV/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTe6QdnJ_VtjcnFjW0mebWo1o83yLTrg8KP2wLKb7hcl852EzTIe-4WPqgFM30EHDUXuxuQCo5v3XOghOJDQwv4RD-FLUhCX9yIzcEVB515oqk533h7gYslHx0A7w4ihxfW0Kcusl4QUV/s640/3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The morning after we brought the car home, we had one last doughnut shop run with my parents, then packed the 4runner to the brim and stopped at the park nearby to get some updated family shots. :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4MYEDp-ShNM7dlK6KOwwi8jHr3IPpoBv3H9hr5eve5WDLqcJ8O7q2vHzbdQLOup4Uk2Qi7dXnsqkPO6E47UWStNLPCk5kK_aWaJrx8b8ot1a3BoZ7d9RMc7DAH2MT_nvIjMuP2CpPNR2/s1600/California-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4MYEDp-ShNM7dlK6KOwwi8jHr3IPpoBv3H9hr5eve5WDLqcJ8O7q2vHzbdQLOup4Uk2Qi7dXnsqkPO6E47UWStNLPCk5kK_aWaJrx8b8ot1a3BoZ7d9RMc7DAH2MT_nvIjMuP2CpPNR2/s640/California-6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Then we reluctantly said goodbye to my sweet and VERY accommodating parents! If they had their way we would have stayed another 2 and a half weeks at their house, or more, which would have been super nice!! Miss them already!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0COobskXdfeai6iNdix4ht0MItkDXO_jsllSCQohE-l8QJrs5XbJK6DUCSuUh0Z0GGwED9e5IK07CyfgSsJ2I95bYLSIRPigrQ1FhpBgwxrjL5pknNxe1sHK5rxjr7fTEjauhYcBDBw4I/s1600/California-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0COobskXdfeai6iNdix4ht0MItkDXO_jsllSCQohE-l8QJrs5XbJK6DUCSuUh0Z0GGwED9e5IK07CyfgSsJ2I95bYLSIRPigrQ1FhpBgwxrjL5pknNxe1sHK5rxjr7fTEjauhYcBDBw4I/s640/California-7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
We jumped on the road around 2:00pm and stopped off an hour away in Riverside, to have an early dinner with <a href="http://theothersideofthemoon2009.blogspot.com/2013/02/so-long-farewell.html" target="_blank">Ashley</a>, who's back from Korea and living in Canyon Lake, CA! It was sssooooo nice to see her again and to be reunited in our home state of Cali! Weird that we had to go all the way to Asia to meet each other, but it was worth it! She's one that'll be around for a long, long, long time in my life! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8QMzjNn5SuRAGvRNu3VkzuUwvxwZncn_WP9DBpy8_oidWzcq_w_edMpxTC1bga6hGTieNgPAetIeHoEPtVDdCS9rLkYtRu2yWVQqIfJd4SCeYlovuO6Wd9RxYcfmmLctRPF6371-tEIP/s1600/California-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8QMzjNn5SuRAGvRNu3VkzuUwvxwZncn_WP9DBpy8_oidWzcq_w_edMpxTC1bga6hGTieNgPAetIeHoEPtVDdCS9rLkYtRu2yWVQqIfJd4SCeYlovuO6Wd9RxYcfmmLctRPF6371-tEIP/s1600/California-11.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
We took a little spin around the parking lot in her adorable VW convertible before saying goodbye for an indefinite period of time. Ugh. I really hope our trip back to Cali is soon!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DLarqWU_049SVxAd6uNJvBTdiPBXBLOf1BG3wTWkUWUTSG6OZiAOznBSwhUY1Fv3-9DvySBoLib-Mc4L2KOjk0HU0z1LYyn7slhcbRz2JB4ELFlVxi5jUujYjscd7GeyYw3TuFQkk5fN/s1600/California-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DLarqWU_049SVxAd6uNJvBTdiPBXBLOf1BG3wTWkUWUTSG6OZiAOznBSwhUY1Fv3-9DvySBoLib-Mc4L2KOjk0HU0z1LYyn7slhcbRz2JB4ELFlVxi5jUujYjscd7GeyYw3TuFQkk5fN/s1600/California-10.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And just like that, we bid farewell to California and began our road trip to our first stop; Arizona! After stopping at the Flying J, a couple other random gas stations, and my 2nd house in AZ, we made it to my best friend Sarah's house just in time for the clock to strike midnight! We're so happy to be in Arizona and I'm excited to see some old friends and show Aaron my old stomping grounds for the next couple days!</div>
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771936372533959385noreply@blogger.com2